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Closure of Melbourne Mint
In 1964 the first steps which would lead to the closure of the Melbourne Mint occurred. In addition to deciding to introduce decimal coinage, the Commonwealth Government also moved to open its own mint in Canberra. It recruited the bulk of the technical and administrative staff from Melbourne Mint in 1964. As these trained people moved to Canberra the capacity of Melbourne to continue its full breadth of work disappeared.
From 31 July 1964 Melbourne Mint ceased all gold related work, a business it had undertaken since 1872. However by recruiting recent migrants, many without English, borrowing engineers from the Department of Supply and making special arrangements to delay the transfer of some key individuals, the mint was able to begin striking the 1966 dated one cent coin about the middle of 1964. In doing so it became the first mint to strike Australian decimal coinage.
The Royal Australian Mint in Canberra began striking in February 1965 after six years of planning and building. It was to have the capacity to strike 300,000,000 coins annually working a single shift, produced all its own blanks, had an advanced die producing department and could undertake all stages of coin production from concept to manufacture. There would be no place for the old mint.
On 29 May 1970 the Queen issued a Proclamation in London discontinuing both Melbourne and Perth as Branches of the Royal Mint from 31 July 1970. Perth continued to operate as a statutory authority of the State Government to be known as The Perth Mint. Melbourne was closed.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 1 - 10) 1536 items
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Coin - Penny, Australia, 1940
Coin - Penny, Australia, 1940. Mint: Melbourne. Found under floorboards of one of the oldest 1880s buildings at a mental health hospital, Caloola Training Centre, Sunbury, Victoria, Aus ...
From: Sunbury, Australia Images: 1 -
Token - Halfpenny, Hanks & Lloyd, Australian Tea Mart, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, ...
Copper Halfpenny Token, minted by W.J. Taylor, London. Issued by Hanks & Lloyd, Australian Tea Mart, Sydney, 1857. J.G. Hanks joined A. Lloyd to open a business in 1855. The same year H ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
Token - 1 Penny, Professor Holloway's, Pills & Ointment, London, England, Great Britain, 1 ...
Copper One Penny Token minted by J. Moore of Birmingham. Issued to promote Professor Holloway's pills and ointments in 1857. Holloway tokens are presumed to have been circulated worldwi ...
From: London, United Kingdom Images: 2 -
Token - Halfpenny, Joseph Lane & Son, Birmingham, England, Great Britain, circa 1855
Australia Joseph Lane & Son Token Halfpenny c. 1855 (AD) Mint: Unknown British Standard References: Andrews 673 = Heyde Related 46
From: Birmingham, United Kingdom Images: 2 -
Stamp - Royal Mint, Gold Coin Bags, Early 20th Century
Copper stamp for stamping gold coin bags from Royal Mint. Melbourne. Stamps 'Royal Mint Melbourne' and coat of arms.
Images: 1 -
Medal - Portrait of Zelma Gartner, Andor Mészáros, Australia, 1964 (Bushfire Affected)
Bronze portrait medal of Zelma Gartner, designed by Andor Mészáros and minted in 1964. It was found in the ruins of John and Zelma's home in Mt Macedon after the Ash Wednesday bushfires ...
Images: 2 -
Token - Threepence, Hogarth, Erichsen & Co, Jewellers, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, ...
Australia New South Wales Sydney Hogarth, Erichsen & Co. Token Threepence 1858 (AD) Mint: see References Standard references: Andrews 690 = Heyde 116/2
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
Token - 1 Penny, Davies, Alexander & Co, Australian Store, Goulburn, New South Wales, Aust ...
Copper one Penny Token, minted by an unknown Bristish mint. Issued by Davies, Alexander & Co., of the Australian Store, Goulburn, New South Wales.
From: Goulburn, Australia Images: 2 -
Trial Token - Threepence, Hogarth, Erichsen & Co, Jewellers, Sydney, New South Wales, Aust ...
Australia New South Wales Sydney Hogarth & Erichsen Token Threepence 1860 (AD) struck over a French 1 franc coin of Louis XVIII Mint: see References Standard references: Andrews 691 = ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
Token - Halfpenny, J.C. Thornthwaite, Die Sinker & Medallist, Surry Hills, New South Wales ...
Copper Halfpenny Token, minted and issued by J.C. Thornthwaite of New South Wales, in 1854. Thornthwaite was the first person to manufacture tokens and medals in Australia. Migrating to ...
From: Surry Hills, Australia Images: 2
