The Perth Mint is celebrating the Chinese Year of the Horse with a limited-edition silver proof coin featuring the zodiac animal rendered in luminous, genuine Australian opal. The Australian Opal Lunar Series 2026 Year of the Horse 1oz Silver Proof Coin continues one of the Mint’s most popular annual traditions, blending precious metal artistry with a gemstone closely associated with the Land Down Under.
At the heart of the design is a vivid opal inlay shaped as a horse, crafted from authentic Australian opal — a gemstone prized for its ever-shifting “play of color.” Australia supplies the overwhelming majority of the world’s opal, and its use here brings movement and vitality to a Chinese symbol long associated with strength, independence, optimism and forward momentum. Because opal forms naturally, no two inlay patterns are exactly alike, making each coin in the limited mintage one of a kind.
Surrounding the opal horse on the reverse side of the coin are stylized marigold motifs, a flower traditionally associated with luck for those born in the Year of the Horse. Additional inscriptions include “YEAR OF THE HORSE,” the Chinese character for horse, the 2026 year-date, the coin’s weight and purity, and The Perth Mint’s iconic “P” mintmark. The coin is struck in proof quality from 99.99% pure silver, offering crisp detail and mirror-like fields.
The obverse features Dan Thorne’s effigy of King Charles III, shown in left-profile relief against a radial sunburst background. The design also confirms the coin’s status as Australian legal tender, with a face value of $1 AUD.
The 2026 release carries added cultural significance as it marks the Year of the Fire Horse, an elemental designation that occurs only once every 60 years. In Chinese tradition, Horse years are associated with energy, progress, and opportunity. The Fire Horse is believed to intensify those traits, symbolizing passion, decisive action, leadership and transformation. It is considered a catalytic year — one that favors creativity, bold movement and breaking free from old patterns, while encouraging balance to avoid impulsiveness.
Each coin is presented in a classic Perth Mint display case with a clear lid, housed in an illustrated shipper and accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. With a strictly limited mintage of 6,000 coins worldwide and household limits in place, the release is expected to follow earlier Opal Lunar issues that sold out quickly.
Previous releases in the Australian Opal Lunar Series included the rooster (2017), dog (2018), pig (2019), rat (2020), ox (2021), tiger (2022), rabbit (2023), dragon (2024) and snake (2025).
Credits: Images courtesy of The Perth Mint.