The Perth Mint is excited to release this beautiful 1oz silver proof coin featuring the latest Australian Quokka design in colour. 

Quokkas are wallaby-like marsupials found mainly in the south west region of Western Australia, particularly Rottnest Island, an idyllic location 18 kilometres off the coast near Perth. About the same size of domestic cats, the quokka has thick, grey-brown fur, a broad face, shiny black eyes and round furry ears.

Friendly and curious by nature, quokkas are often content to interact with respectful humans. Adding to their appeal, furry faced quokkas appear to smile, a characteristic that has earned them the reputation for being the ‘happiest animals on Earth’. A massive drawcard for visitors, the estimated population of 12,000 quokkas on Rottnest Island provides many unique opportunities for photography, including the modern craze of ‘quokka selfies’.

Quokkas were once plentiful throughout Australia’s south west but they are now classified as vulnerable, having suffered from predation by introduced species and loss of habitat.