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Tour of the Perth Mint



Perth is one of my favourite Australian cities, but I don’t often get the chance to head over there. Earlier this year, I was there for the Perth Money Expo and took the opportunity to visit the world’s oldest active mint, the Perth Mint on Hay St. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had relaxed their policy about photography inside the mint, so I whipped out my camera and took as many snaps as I could.

Coin tools

Coin tooling on display, including dies.

Inside the Perth Mint

Above, a view inside the main display hall of the Perth Mint.

1 tonne Perth Mint coin

The famous one tonne coin.

The first 1899 Perth sovereign

The first 1899 Perth sovereign minted at the Perth Mint.

First sovereign box

... and its box.

1918 Perth half sovereign

A 1918 Perth half sovereign on display. It was circulated, so I'd guess the coin was acquired some time after it had been minted.

 

1 kilo gold coin

A one kilo proof gold coin.

One ounce pattern coin

A one ounce pattern gold coin.

10 kilo gold proof coin year of the snake

A ten kilo Year of the Snake proof gold coin.

Australia's first coins

A helpful display of Australia's first coins.

Perth Mint gold nugget

A raw gold nugget. Even today, nuggets continue to be found by prospectors.

Perth Mint coin die

A Perth Mint sovereign obverse die. The mint also has the reverse die of the 1932 Perth sovereign, although it wasn't on display.

Perth Mint gold bar

A Perth Mint gold bar on display that visitors could physically touch.

1977 Perth two cent

A 1977 Perth two cent piece.

Where is the mintmark on the sovereign?

A helpful graphic explaining the location of the mintmark on the sovereign and the half sovereign.

Square Penny

The mint had on display two Square Pennies, although they were not struck at the Perth Mint.

Perth Mint building

Celebrity numismatist Dr Peter Andrews posing in front of the Perth Mint.

Related links:

The 2016 Perth ANDA Money Expo review

The Royal Mint Experience

Rare coins at the Royal Australian Mint

 

 

 

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