2026 AUS 1 oz Gold Lunar Year of the Horse (MD® Premier+PCGS)

Only coins delivered by The Perth Mint during the first 30 days of their issuance are eligible as MintDirect® Premier. APMEX individually seals each MintDirect® Premier coin to ensure the authenticity and condition after the coins are removed directly from the mint capsules. This process seals the coin within the card, creating a tamper-evident package that guarantees your investment indefinitely. Learn more about the tamper-evident process here.

APMEX has partnered with PCGS, one of the most trusted names in numismatics, to further enhance the MintDirect® Premier program. This partnership with PCGS allows MintDirect® Premier with PCGS FirstStrike® 2026 Gold Lunar Horse coins in their sealed packaging to remain eligible for the FirstStrike® designation if submitted to PCGS for grading long after new FirstStrike®-eligible coins are typically off the market.

Coin Highlights:

• Contains 1 oz of .9999 fine gold.
• Packaged in RF-welded plastic polymer case (2 1/2" x 3 1/4"), protecting the coin's finish, with included authentication card.
• Multiples of 10 are housed in a 10-count APMEX MintDirect® singles storage box (5” x 2 5/8” x 3 1/2”).
• Multiples of 20 are housed in a 20-count APMEX MintDirect® singles storage box (10” x 2 5/8” x 3 1/2”).
• APMEX storage boxes hold MintDirect® or MintDirect® Premier TEP singles and are stackable with other APMEX Mini Monster Boxes and the APMEX Monster Box.
• Coins in MintDirect® packaging do not come with original mint capsule.
• Mintage of no more than 30,000 pieces.
• These coins are sold out at The Perth Mint!
• Obverse: The Dan Thorne effigy of His Majesty King Charles III, the weight and fineness and the monetary denomination.
• Reverse: Portrays a magnificent horse with elevated hooves displaying strength and poise. The background includes an image of mountainous landscapes and grasslands. Included in the design is the Chinese character for "horse," the inscription "HORSE 2026" and The Perth Mint's "P"mint mark.
• Sovereign coin backed by the Australian government.

Lunar coins are among the most popular in the world. Add this spectacular 2026 1 oz Gold Lunar Year of the Horse coin to your cart today!

Learn more about this release and The Perth Mint's Lunar Series III.

Each year, The Perth Mint introduces coins with the new year's date on them. New dies are engraved, prepared and deployed to strike the coins for each year.

The coin dies wear down over thousands of strikes, causing the details of the engraved die that transfers to the newly struck coin to flatten, diminishing the quality of the finished coin below standards. At this point, the dies are replaced. For each minting press, new dies may be required multiple times each year.

Once the new dies are installed, the strike quality (the detail transferred to the newly struck coin) returns to its maximum. There is no public notice that dies are changed, and each minting press changes dies at different times required by die wear.

Because each new year brings new dies, APMEX has designated all products delivered by The Perth Mint during the first 30 days of their issuance that go through the MintDirect® process as MintDirect® Premier.

APMEX has partnered with PCGS to add the assurance and recognition of the PCGS FirstStrike® designation to the MintDirect® Premier product. After reviewing and vetting the MintDirect® process, PCGS recognizes these 2026 MintDirect® Premier Gold Lunar Horse coins as meeting their strict requirements for FirstStrike® eligibility if submitted for grading in their original sealed packaging.

The sealing process seals the coin within the authentication card, creating a tamper-evident package that will guarantee your investment indefinitely. After the process is completed, the coin in the tamper-evident package is removed from the machine and checked to ensure that the quality of the packaging meets our exacting standards. You now have a finished MintDirect® Premier + PCGS FirstStrike® 2026 Australian 1 oz Gold Horse single.

By using this process, APMEX can guarantee that the coins you receive are authentic and in the exact condition as they were when they left The Perth Mint. The MintDirect® process gives investors confidence in their purchase, knowing that they can buy, hold or sell an authentic coin — guaranteed.

Lunar Year of the Horse
Perth Mint's Australian Lunar Series III collection continues the rich tradition of minting spectacular bullion coins by portraying animal themes from the Chinese lunar calendar. The reverse design changes each year based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and the 2026 reverse celebrates the Year of the Horse. Those born under the sign of the Chinese lunar horse in 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978 and every 12^th preceding year are said to be charismatic, independent and have a great love of adventure.

The Perth Mint Lunar Series
Known for their quality and collectibility, The Perth Mint Lunar Series is a cornerstone of many precious metals portfolios, and is produced in silver, gold and platinum. The original lunar bullion series, these coins (beginning with the Series I launch in 1996) have become some of the most widely collected around the globe, as demand originated in Asia but spread to Europe and America as investors became exposed to the design and quality. In addition to the annual design change, many investors love that the coins' select mintage limits create the potential for even greater investment return in the form of a numismatic premium appreciation. The 1 oz gold coins are limited to a mintage of 30,000 and the platinum coins are limited to just 5,000 today. This series is so popular, the 1 oz Gold and Silver Lunars are now instant sell-outs every year!

The Perth Lunar Series I concluded in 2010, and Series II concluded in 2019. These releases have been tremendously popular worldwide, with each year selling out quickly as investors and collectors claim the coins of all sizes. As each 1 oz silver bullion coin in Series III has been limited to 300,000 coins worldwide, the prolonged popularity is ensured by the high level of collectibility as well as the stellar designs from the reputable Perth Mint.

• Year of the Mouse
• Year of the Ox
• Year of the Tiger
• Year of the Rabbit
• Year of the Dragon
• Year of the Snake
• Year of the Horse
• Year of the Goat
• Year of the Monkey
• Year of the Rooster
• Year of the Dog
• Year of the Pig
  

Note: The MintDirect® process does not guarantee protection from spotting or tarnishing that normally occurs in chemically active metals such as gold, silver and platinum.