Largest gold coin: Australia sets world record (HD Video)
PERTH, WA, Australia -- To mark the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, The Perth Mint produced a giant gold coin which is 99.99 per cent pure and has a nominal value of 1,000,000 Australian dollars (USD 1,061,000);
it took 18 months to make ans is worth more than US $55 million; weighing a massive 1,012 kg, it sets the new world record for the Largest gold coin, according to World Record Academy (www.worldrecordacademy.com). Photo: The World's Largest Gold Coin is 99.99 per cent pure and has a nominal value of 1,000,000 Australian dollars (USD 1,061,000). The gold itself is worth more than 50 million Australian dollars.(enlarge photo)
The Guinness world record for the largest gold coin weighs 100 kg (220 lb 7 oz), measures 50 cm (19.6 in) in diameter, 3 cm (1.1 in) in thickness and is made from bullion with a purity of 99.999 per cent. The legal-tender coin was introduced by the Royal Canadian Mint with a face value of CAN$1 million (US$900,375).
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest collection of silver coins: it consists of 1,600 non-duplicate coins from around the world, and belongs to José Manuel Costa Lavín (Mexico).
The Perth Mint produced it in time for the Queen's visit to the city in Western Australia for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. Photo: The lagest coin in the world has a kangaroo on one side and the Queen's profile on the other. It is nearly 80cm in diameter and 12cm thick. (enlarge photo)
Perth Mint CEO Ed Harbuz said making it was "an incredible challenge, one which few other mints would even consider".
The Australian coin is five times heavier than the world's previous largest gold coin, made by the Royal Canadian Mint, the BBC reported.
"We thought well, we'd better make it so much bigger that it'll stay the biggest coin in the world for a long time," Harbuz said.
"Why did we do it?" asks Ed Harbuz, chief executive officer of the Perth Mint, in a video about the making of the coin (see below).
"The Australian kangaroo gold bullion coin is one of the most popular bullion coins in the world. But we want to raise its profile even more. ... The one-tonne gold coin will be another attraction people can enjoy when they visit the mint."
