War in the Pacific Silver Bullion Coins

One of the upsides of collection bullion coins is the diversity of designs and sources available. You can cover the world with your collection, and open a window into culture, wild-life and history, depending on your interests. Older collectors in particular often gravitate towards World War II, which is still large in their memory, and mints respond by creating attractive series.

The Perth Mint sounds like a small operation, but in fact it is Australia’s official bullion mint, wholly owned by the government of Western Australia, so a reliable and responsible supplier of coins. Although separate from the Australian Mint, its coins are still legal tender.

When it comes to WWII, Australia has a unique perspective, and focuses not in the war in Europe, but in the Pacific war instead. Their new series of coins shows that perspective, and it features silver and gold bullion coins that commemorate pivotal moments in that war – as is obvious from their name for the series, War in the Pacific.

There are two coins in the series right now, with others due for future release. They contain ½ ounce of 99.9% pure silver, with a diameter of 32 mm, which is almost 1¼ inches. The mint mark ‘P’ can be found on the obverse. The coins are projected to also be issued containing 1/10 of an ounce of gold.

These coins currently available are:

Battle of the Coral Sea

The Battle of the Coral Sea was 5-day fight in May of 1942 between the Japanese Navy and combined forces of the United States and America. It involved both naval and air forces off the north-east coast of Australia, and it resulted in a victory for the Allies. That victory not only halted the southward advance of the Japanese, the damage inflicted left their navy weakened in the upcoming Battle of the Bulge, helping assure the American victory in that decisive battle. The Battle of the Coral Sea is often called the ‘battle that saved Australia’, and its significance is well-known among Australians.

The coin’s reverse shows a battleship sailing head-on, bristling with guns, and the field behind features both the Stars and Stripes and the southern cross constellation taken from the Australian flag. Around the rim are the words, BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA and WAR IN THE PACIFIC 1941-1945. The obverse is the well-known Ian Rank-Broadley image of Australia’s Queen. Around the image are the words, ELIZABETH II; AUSTRALIA; ½ OZ 999 SILVER; 50 CENTS (the coins value as legal tender) and the year of issue – 2014 or 2015 at this time.

Australian American Memorial

This was the first coin issued in the War in the Pacific series. Minted in 2013, it features on the reverse a stylized American Eagle, wings upraised, standing on a globe. In the field behind are the same Stars and Stripes and Southern Cross seen on the Battle of the Coral Sea Coin. This is the feature that unifies the series. The words, AUSTRALIAN/AMERICAN MEMORIAL and WAR IN THE PACIFIC 1941-1945 run around the rim. The obverse is the same image of Queen Elizabeth II and the year of issue – 2013.

Other coins in the series, in both silver and gold, are expected in the future, but no release dates are currently available. So if you find coins from this series available, snap them up, as they may become rarer in the future.