2024 2 oz Perth Piedfort: Next Generation Mother & Baby Emu Silver Coin (BU)

The Perth Mint 2024 2 oz Next Generation Mother & Baby Emu Silver Coin marks the seventh and latest offering in The Perth Mint's Next Generation Series, a highly acclaimed annual bullion series pairing Australia's iconic wildlife with one of the most unique bullion coin striking formats of all time: the piedfort.

This 2-troy-ounce .9999 fine silver coin is both an investment-grade coin and features a collector-grade design, celebrating Australia's biggest bird. It is used as an official Australian legal tender, issued at $2 AUD face value and is fully backed by the Australian Government.

This coin is from The Perth Mint, Australia's oldest mint in continuous operation since 1949, owned by the State of Western Australia and renowned for its high quality and institutional credibility with collectors and investors around the world.

What Is a Piedfort? Understanding This Coin's Key Feature

Piedfort is a coin with a diameter equal to that of the normal issue, but with double the thickness, and is French for "heavy stone. This gives the coin a decided heft and weight in the hand when compared to a traditional bullion coin.

The use of striking on piedfort coins dates back to medieval France and England, where the coins were made as presentation pieces, diplomatic gifts, and pattern samples sent to the Royal Mint for the archives. Today, they are extremely popular in the collector and investor markets for a number of reasons:

• Silver surfaces with larger diameters.Larger diameter silver surfaces.
• Greater depth of metal (relief) which enables more pronounced relief in the design from the field.
• Unique presentation — the heavy profile is evident when the coin is shown on edge, and it is quite different from all the standard bullion coins.
• Medals are struck only as piedfort coins — Perth Mint's Next Generation Series is struck only as piedfort coins meaning all seven releases share this format.

The 2024 Emu coin is 40.90 mm in diameter and 6.02 mm in thickness, just about double the ~3 mm thick profile of most 2 oz round coins! The coin is designed to stand upright on its side, displaying the dual-face design in a unique way that cannot be achieved with typical coins.

The Next Generation Series: All Seven Releases

The Perth Mint's decision to feature Australian Outback wild animals on a number of silver coins, has kicked off the Next Generation Series.The Next Generation Series began with the Perth Mint's commitment to feature Australian Outback wildlife on annual piedfort silver coins. Every release is a pair of a mom and a baby of a different species and the entire series is a fascinating wildlife series.

The coins have the same specifications with each piece being 2 troy oz, .9999 fine silver in piedfort format, valued at $2 AUD with a total mintage of 75,000 coins. They must have all seven; the latest is the 2024 Emu and the only one on the primary market at a reasonable price.

The Reverse Design: Adult Emu with Three Chicks

The reverse was designed by The Perth Mint's creative team and portrays a female adult emu striding confidently across an undulating Australian landscape, with three newly-hatched chicks keeping pace at her side. The landscape surrounding the birds is filled with native vegetation, adding a sense of familiarity and a sense of home to the scene that would otherwise be quite abstract.

The following features in the design are worthy of close inspection:

• The field of the coin is filled with radial lines that create a sense of sunlight, adding depth and warmth to the scene. The field is not simply white, but alive with light – the emblematic characteristic of an emu field, and an intention to link with the brightness of the Australian outback.
• On the reverse is a "P125" mint mark on the left edge indicating The Perth Mint's 125th anniversary year. This mintmark is only used on The Perth Mint 2024 coin releases, it is not a feature that could appear on any coin before or after 2024. To collectors it is a touch of history: the year this coin was struck was one of the most significant years for the mint.
• The inscription "Year-date 2024" is located at the bottom of the reverse of the coin, next to the mintmark.
• The entire design is struck in the piedfort format, with the emu and chick portrait having extra depth and projection than the standard thickness coin, the relief from the extra metal in the piedfort blank.

The Obverse Design: King Charles III by Daniel Thorne

On the obverse is the first official portrait of His Majesty King Charles III on Australian coinage, designed by British designer Daniel (Dan) Thorne.

The portrait depicts King Charles in left profile, without a crown, as is the usual practice in male monarch portraits on banknotes. The left-handed pose is also a continuation of the ancient tradition of changing the direction of the portrait image with the new monarch: Charles III's portraits are left handed, and Queen Elizabeth II's coins have a right handed face during her reign.

The inscriptions on the obverse are correct to say:

• The king's reign is called with his name, 'CHARLES III'.
• "AUSTRALIA" — Issuing nation
• "2 DOLLARS" — Face value ($2 AUD)
• ".9999" — Silver purity mark

It has become Perth Mint practice to combine the Dan Thorne portrait with the purity/denomination inscription on the obverse of a design, which keeps the obverse design clear and unobtrusive, allowing the viewer's eye to flow to the reverse design.

About the Emu: Australia's Largest Bird

The reverse depicts dry, open, expansive land, typical of the land found throughout most of mainland Australia where emus are found. Emus can be found in the plains, woodland and savanna throughout most of mainland Australia and are the world's second largest bird alive, standing up to 1.9 metres (6.2 feet) tall and weighing up to 60 kg.

The imagery on the coin has special significance in the light of the following natural history facts:

• A special type of parenting: Female emus incubate large, dark-green eggs that can be as many as 15 and may be laid over a long time. Once the female lays eggs, her job is mostly finished. The male emu incubates the eggs, sitting on them for about 56 days, sometimes not eating, drinking or defecating. The male broods and incubates the chicks (sometimes for as long as 18 months). Although this is marketed as a female bird, it is actually the male bird to the left with three chicks.
• Speed and endurance: Although incapable of flying, the emu is a powerful runner, running at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph). They have strong legs that they use to defend chicks from predators by kicking which enable them to travel great distances in Australia's vast interior.
• Very fast growth: When the baby emu chicks are hatched with distinctive cream and brown striped feathers they grow up quickly. They grow to full size and can live as adults within a year. On this coin the three small chicks symbolize this early, crucial period of life.
• Cultural significance: The bird of a flying emu is also featured on the Australian Coat of Arms, along with the kangaroo as neither can walk backwards, which meant Australia has no choice but to walk forward. The emu, along with the kangaroo, is one of the most familiar symbols of Australia.

Security and Authentication Features

The 2024 Next Generation Emu Piedfort coin features two security elements, which set it apart from more basic bullion offerings.

The radial lines in the coin's field are micro-engraved and will only be seen with the aid of a magnifying glass. They have an extremely precise spacing and this is both an aesthetic and security requirement — it is extremely difficult to 'counterfeit' their spacing.

Micro-laser engraved letter: A letter, which is engraved in the micro-laser, is used for the authentication of the design on each coin, and thus is only visible under magnification. The use of this feature throughout the Next Generation Series ensures each coin is individually verified and safeguards against counterfeiting, especially pertinent for the Perth Mint products that are sought after by collectors all over the world.

Investment and Collection Value

For Silver Investors:

• 2 troy oz of .9999 fine silver — which is the highest standard purity level for silver bullion.
• Australian legal tender; sovereign-backed, so as to promote liquidity on the global stage.
• Ideal for a Precious Metals IRA — speak with BOLD's Precious Metals Team for more information
• Sealed tubes of 12 coins and monster boxes of 120 coins (10 tubes) are also available, as are individual coins.

For Collectors:

• 7th and latest release in a series of 7 coins needed by series completionists.
• P125 mintmark will only be used for 2024 Perth Mint releases, and will never be seen on other Next Generation coins.
• The profile, weight and relief of the coin differ from those of the standard bullion coin, which is why it's called piedfort.
• A mintage of 75,000 — available, but in much smaller numbers than many Perth Mint regular issues

For Gift Buyers:

• Each coin comes in a secure plastic flip
• The weight and thickness of the piedfort format also leaves a significant impression in hand, and is obviously different from the weight and thickness of standard bullion coins.
• The theme of emu and wildlife is quite popular and is a good choice for gifts related to Australian heritage or nature topics.

Buy the 2024 Next Generation Emu Piedfort Coin at BOLD

Perth Mint bullion products are distributed by BOLD Precious Metals who are an authorized dealer of both Perth Mint, a member of Perth Mint's partner bodies PCGS and NGC as well as the BBB. We have the entire Next Generation series and can help people with the full seven coin run.

This is a coin that comes in its original protective plastic flip. We ship with free, fully insured rates to all 50 states on orders of $199.00 or more, and our bullion specialists are available Monday through Friday to answer any questions you may have about buying in bulk, IRA setup, and series collection advice.

Please contact us by email at support@boldpreciousmetals.com or call 1(866) 454-BOLD.