2020 Australia 1/4 oz Gold Lunar Year of the Rat
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What ships: one 2020 Year of the Rat quarter-ounce gold coin in BU condition, struck by the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra — not the Perth Mint Lunar series, which is a separate program with a different design. This is a dated issue, so every coin is the 2020 Rat.
Questions about this coin? Call or text (385) 442-9636
IRA Eligible
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Coin Specifications
| Metal | Gold |
| Weight | 1/4 troy oz |
| Gold content | 7.78 grams pure gold |
| Purity | .9999 fine |
| Condition | BU (Brilliant Uncirculated) |
| Series | Lunar — Year of the Rat |
| Mint | Royal Australian Mint, Canberra |
| Country | Australia |
| Year | 2020 |
| Face value | $25 (legal tender, Australia) |
| IRA eligible | Yes — .9999 fine, sovereign mint, ungraded |
The Royal Australian Mint's Lunar series marks each year of the Chinese zodiac with a new design. The 2020 Rat reverse places two rats among oak leaves with an acorn and the Chinese character for rat; the obverse rings Elizabeth II with all twelve zodiac animals, a motif the series carries across every year. Struck in .9999 fine gold, a step above the 22k alloy used by the American Gold Eagle and the Krugerrand.
Worth knowing: this is the Canberra mint's Lunar program, not the Perth Mint series most buyers picture. Both are Australian, both follow the zodiac, and they are different coins. As a dated release it can carry a premium over random-year fractional gold, and fractional coins already price higher per ounce than a 1 oz bar because minting costs spread across less metal. Buy fractional for the divisibility, not for the cheapest ounce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add it to your cart and check out securely online with live pricing, or call or text (385) 442-9636 if you would rather order by phone. Orders ship fully insured, and free local pickup is available.
Utah exempts investment-grade precious metals from sales tax, so no sales tax is added to bullion orders like this one. Tax treatment in other states varies, and any applicable tax is calculated at checkout.
A quarter troy ounce of .9999 fine gold — 7.78 grams of pure gold. At .9999 the coin is a higher fineness than 22k coins like the American Gold Eagle or the Krugerrand, which alloy the gold with copper and silver for durability.
The reverse shows two rats among oak leaves with an acorn, the Chinese character for rat, the 2020 date, and the 1/4oz .9999 Au inscription. The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Elizabeth II inside a ring of all twelve lunar zodiac animals, with the $25 denomination.
The Royal Australian Mint in Canberra, which is Australia’s federal mint. It runs its own Lunar series separate from the better-known Perth Mint Lunar program, so the two look nothing alike even in the same zodiac year. This is the Canberra issue.
The actual 2020 issue. Lunar coins are dated releases tied to a specific zodiac year, so unlike random-year bullion the date is the product. Every coin from this listing is a 2020 Year of the Rat.
Yes. At .9999 fine it clears the IRS minimum of .995 for gold, and it is produced by a sovereign government mint. Ungraded bullion coins like this one qualify for a self-directed IRA — graded and collectible coins do not. Confirm the specifics with your custodian.
Both. The quarter ounce of gold sets the floor, but Lunar coins are dated, limited releases, so a completed year can carry a premium over a comparable random-year fractional coin. Fractional gold also carries a higher premium per ounce than a full ounce, since minting costs are spread across less metal.
Smaller pieces divide better. A quarter-ounce coin lets you buy in at a lower dollar amount and sell part of a position without liquidating a full ounce. The trade-off is cost: you pay a higher premium per ounce of gold than you would on a 1 oz coin or bar.
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Add the 2020 Gold Lunar Rat to your cart and check out securely with live pricing. Questions about insured shipping, buying multiple, or IRA purchases? Call or text and we will sort it out with you.