Yes, I know what you’re thinking. We’re not half way through the Lunar Year of the Horse yet and we’re getting goat coins, but the coin world doesn’t hang around and there are advantages to being the first big player to enter the market, especially before the Perth Mint juggernaut kicks off in September like it does every year. The Year of the Goat starts on 19 February 2015, but well before then, every major lunar bullion or proof coin will have been released and often sold out.

Ironically, first out of the gate is fellow Perth inhabitant Treasures of Oz, with the third addition to their excellent Tokelau Lunar range. First launched two years ago with the low key Lunar Snake coin in a reverse-proof finish, Treasures of Oz decided to really go for it with the horse and released a greatly enhanced range of variants and complementary coins that were attractive and as a result, have proven very popular. Eventually becoming available in standard bullion, proof, reverse-proof, coloured, antiqued, gilded and gold versions, with mintages from 1,000 to 300,000, it’s clearly a sucessful endeavour for the Australian coin producer.

The Year of the Goat kicks off in eight months time and the animal is meant to represent people that are wise, gentle, compassionate, charming, elegant, slightly materialistic, quick to complain, shy and pessimistic, should you believe in such things.