2013 1/4 Oz Australia Gold Lunar Snake (Series II) - BU

Buyback price:  $972.53
Bullion Standard Pro Buyback price:  $986.35

Product ID: BST-000653904F

Specifications

Year 2013
Precious Metal Type Gold
Bullion Coin Type Lunar
Format Coin
Country of Origin Australia
Brand/Mint Perth Mint
Mint Mark P - Perth
Purity 0.9999
Weight 0.25 oz
Thickness (mm) 2.2 mm
Diameter (mm) 22.6 mm
Grade BU

Product Details

Overview of the 2013 Australia Gold Lunar Snake (Series II)

The 2013 quarter-ounce Australia Gold Lunar Snake is a government-issued bullion coin struck by The Perth Mint in .9999 fine gold, making it one of the purest gold coin standards available from any sovereign mint. Issued as part of the Series II Lunar collection, it carries legal tender status under Australian law and bears the Year of the Snake designation from the Chinese zodiac calendar. At 0.25 troy ounces, it occupies a practical mid-point in the Lunar lineup, offering meaningful gold content at a more accessible entry point than the full one-ounce issues.

We carry this coin in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, meaning it arrives as-struck with full mint luster and no signs of circulation. Its standing within the broader Lunar Series II program gives it crossover appeal among both bullion buyers and thematic collectors drawn to the annual design rotations.

History and Background

The Perth Mint launched its Gold Lunar Series in 1996, drawing on the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac to create an annually rotating program of limited-mintage coins. Series I ran from 1996 through 2007, and Series II began in 2008

Overview of the 2013 Australia Gold Lunar Snake (Series II)

The 2013 quarter-ounce Australia Gold Lunar Snake is a government-issued bullion coin struck by The Perth Mint in .9999 fine gold, making it one of the purest gold coin standards available from any sovereign mint. Issued as part of the Series II Lunar collection, it carries legal tender status under Australian law and bears the Year of the Snake designation from the Chinese zodiac calendar. At 0.25 troy ounces, it occupies a practical mid-point in the Lunar lineup, offering meaningful gold content at a more accessible entry point than the full one-ounce issues.

We carry this coin in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, meaning it arrives as-struck with full mint luster and no signs of circulation. Its standing within the broader Lunar Series II program gives it crossover appeal among both bullion buyers and thematic collectors drawn to the annual design rotations.

History and Background

The Perth Mint launched its Gold Lunar Series in 1996, drawing on the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac to create an annually rotating program of limited-mintage coins. Series I ran from 1996 through 2007, and Series II began in 2008 with a renewed design approach and extended specifications. Each year within the series corresponds to a specific zodiac animal, and the Snake year of 2013 occupies the sixth position in the Series II cycle.

The Perth Mint itself carries one of the longest operating histories of any mint in the world, having been established in 1899 as a branch of Britain's Royal Mint. Today it operates as a statutory authority of the Western Australian government and is recognized globally for its precision refining and minting capabilities. The mint's reputation for consistent quality and strict production standards has helped establish its Lunar coins as a respected fixture in the international bullion market.

The snake holds a distinctive place in Chinese cultural tradition, associated with wisdom, intuition, and refinement. Within the Lunar Series, snake-year coins have consistently attracted collector interest both at the time of release and in subsequent years, particularly in markets with strong cultural ties to the Chinese zodiac.

Design and Aesthetics

The reverse of the 2013 Gold Lunar Snake features a detailed rendering of a snake in a naturalistic pose, rendered with the fine detail and depth of relief that The Perth Mint's engraving team is known for. The design incorporates the year of issue, the coin's gold purity, weight specification, and face value as part of the overall composition. The background field is finished to contrast with the raised design elements, giving the imagery a clean, defined presence.

The obverse carries the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, which was the standard portrait used on Australian coinage during this period. The inscription includes the denomination and the name of the issuing country, conforming to the legal tender format required for official Australian coinage. Together, both sides reflect the dual nature of the Lunar coin program as both a circulating-denomination issue and a collector-grade bullion product.

Fractional Size and Accessibility

At a quarter troy ounce, this coin offers a meaningful reduction in per-unit cost compared to the one-ounce version while retaining all the same design, purity, and mint credentials. For buyers who want exposure to the Lunar Snake design without committing to the price point of a full ounce of gold, the quarter-ounce format is a practical choice. It also makes it easier to add or remove specific positions within a collection or holdings without requiring large transactions.

Fractional gold coins like this one do carry higher premiums per troy ounce than their full-ounce counterparts, which reflects the proportionally greater cost of producing smaller-diameter coins with equivalent precision. That premium is a known and accepted trade-off in the fractional gold market and is worth factoring into any purchase decision.

Authenticity and Product Integrity

The Perth Mint strikes its Gold Lunar coins to a declared purity of .9999 fine gold, placing them among the highest-purity sovereign gold coins produced anywhere in the world. Each coin is produced under the mint's strict quality controls, with weight and purity conforming to specifications established under Australian law. The mint's P mintmark is struck into each coin as a production identifier, providing an additional layer of traceability.

We verify every product we carry for authenticity and conformity to stated specifications before it reaches a customer. Our authorized dealer relationships with PCGS and NGC further support our ability to offer authentication services for coins where third-party certification is relevant. For a BU Lunar Snake like this one, the mint's own production standards and reputation serve as the primary basis for confidence in the coin's integrity.

Condition and Packaging

Brilliant Uncirculated describes a coin that has been produced to a standard intended for collectors and bullion holders rather than for general circulation. BU coins retain their full original mint luster and are free from the wear and contact associated with circulated coinage. The 2013 Gold Lunar Snake in BU condition reflects the coin as it left the Perth Mint, with sharp design detail and a clean field throughout.

Individual coins ship in a protective plastic flip to preserve their condition during transit and handling. Tubes of coins ship in the standard Perth Mint tube, which for the quarter-ounce Lunar format typically holds 20 pieces. Larger quantities ship in sealed boxes consistent with the mint's standard outer packaging. If you are purchasing a single coin, it arrives in a flip ready to be stored or displayed without additional handling.

Pricing and Market Factors

Pricing for the 2013 quarter-ounce Gold Lunar Snake is determined by the current spot price of gold, with a premium added to account for the coin's fractional format, its status as a limited-mintage Lunar issue, and the production costs associated with The Perth Mint's quality standards. Fractional gold coins consistently carry a higher per-ounce premium than one-ounce issues, and that premium is typically more pronounced for coins with collector appeal, such as annual Lunar releases with fixed mintage limits.

Secondary market demand for Lunar Series II coins has historically been supported by both bullion buyers and zodiac-year collectors, particularly in Asia-Pacific and among diaspora communities. This broader demand base can influence how premiums behave over time relative to generic fractional gold products. Our pricing reflects real-time spot conditions, and the bid/ask spread displayed on the product page gives you a transparent view of both the acquisition cost and the current resale context.

Selling and Liquidity

The 2013 Gold Lunar Snake carries a combination of attributes that support resale: it is struck by a globally recognized sovereign mint, carries a declared .9999 purity, and belongs to a well-established series with an identifiable collector base. These characteristics make it more straightforward to price and trade compared to generic fractional gold products with less established identities in the secondary market.

We operate a two-way market, which means customers can sell back to us with the same transparency that applies when purchasing. Competitive buyback pricing is available for products like this one, and we encourage buyers to consider liquidity before making any purchase rather than treating it as an afterthought. Reviewing the bid/ask spread on the product page before you buy gives you a realistic picture of the complete transaction from both sides.

Why Buy the 2013 Australia Gold Lunar Snake?

The 2013 Gold Lunar Snake from The Perth Mint stands out among fractional gold options because it combines sovereign-mint credentials with a design program that has demonstrated consistent market appeal over more than two decades. The Series II Lunar coins are recognized across both the bullion and collector markets, which is a relatively rare combination at the fractional gold level. Most generic fractional gold products offer purity and weight but little else to differentiate them.

The snake-year design has cultural significance that extends well beyond numismatic collecting, and the coin's fixed mintage gives it a defined supply ceiling that is absent from many mainstream bullion products. For buyers who want fractional gold with a distinct identity rather than a commodity-grade product, the Lunar Snake delivers that combination in a format backed by one of the world's most respected sovereign mints.

Why Buy from Bullion Standard?

We have been operating as a precious metals marketplace since 2010, and our approach has always been built around transparency and customer trust rather than high-pressure sales tactics. Our A rating with the Better Business Bureau, membership in the American Numismatic Association and the National Coin and Bullion Association, and authorized dealer status with both PCGS and NGC reflect a consistent commitment to operating professionally within the industry.

Every product we carry is verified for authenticity, weight, and purity. We source from reputable mints, refineries, and established distributors, and our pricing is structured to reflect real-time market conditions rather than arbitrary markups. The bid/ask spread displayed on each product page is a direct expression of that commitment to transparency, giving you a complete view of what it costs to buy and what you can expect when you decide to sell.

Our two-way market model means you are not left searching for a buyer when it is time to exit a position. We provide competitive buyback pricing within the same platform where you purchased, creating a more efficient and straightforward experience from acquisition through sale. That consistency across both sides of the transaction is central to what we are building.

Get Near-Spot Pricing with Bullion Standard Pro

Bullion Standard Pro gives members access to live, executable wholesale bid and ask pricing on products like the 2013 Gold Lunar Snake, allowing you to see exactly how this coin is priced and traded at the wholesale level rather than relying on estimated or indicative retail figures. Premium analysis, historical spread data, and liquidity metrics are available through the platform, giving you the context needed to evaluate whether current market conditions align with your purchase or sale objectives.

Portfolio valuation through Pro uses live wholesale bid pricing, which means your holdings are reflected at current liquidation-level values rather than retail estimates. For fractional Lunar coins that carry premiums above standard gold bullion, that distinction matters when evaluating your actual market position. The platform is designed to bring the transparency and analytical depth of institutional financial markets to physical precious metals, giving members a more grounded and data-driven view of every product they hold or are considering.

Flexible and Secure Payment Options

We support a broad range of payment methods to make the transaction process as convenient as possible. Major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are accepted, along with PayPal for buyers who prefer that platform. Bank-connected payments through Plaid provide a direct and secure option for those who prefer account-linked transfers without manual wire instructions.

Wire transfer and paper check remain available for buyers who prefer traditional payment methods, and cryptocurrency payments are processed through BitPay for those who transact in digital assets. Every payment method is handled through a secure transaction environment, and our fulfillment process is designed to move efficiently from payment confirmation through shipping and delivery.

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