Clarification Needed Regarding Australia's Official Mint.

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Author	Replies: 10 / Views: 1,958
Anjohl Pillar of the Community Canada 815 Posts	Posted 02/12/2013 01:11 am As a general rule, I avoid any coin minted by an extra-governmental mint. I avoid the franklin mint, danberry, stillwater, and all such private mints, even if they have some sort of deal whereby their coins are marked with official currency values. For a long time, I avoided the Perth Mint, assuming that they are the equivilent of those listed above. Their website supported my claims, with garish colored coins as far as the eye could see. However, I really like the look of the 2012 Year of the Dragon Australian piece, and assumed it was minted by whoever the official Australian mint was, and as such, I bought a 2013 Snake. I then found out these are made by the Perth Mint. So my question to my fellow commonwealthers is this: Which mint is the official mint of Australia? Is it the Perth Mint, the Royal Australian Mint (Sounds like a winner!), or both? I find this so confusing, as I thought that most legal tender in industrial countries was made in one official mint, but it seems like the Perth Mint is 2/5's as "legit" as the RAM, if not more. Report this Post to the Staff

dcoin Valued Member Australia 191 Posts	Posted 02/12/2013 01:23 am The Royal Australian Mint (RAM) is Australia's official/government mint, the Perth Mint is now a private mint (i.e. does not produce circulating coinage/notes). In the past the Sydney Mint, Melbourne Mint and the Perth Mint produced Australia's circulating coinage prior to 1966. Report this Post to the Staff
enworb Pillar of the Community Australia 4411 Posts	Posted 02/12/2013 01:29 am I believe the Perth Mint is owned by The Western Australian Government. It is an official mint that strikes legal tender coins. Having said that none of those coins circulate. ALL circulation coins are now made in Canberra at the RAM. In 1966 Perth help to strike some circulating coins. Whilst I'm not a huge fan or the Perth Mint stuff it is a whole lot better than the crap that franklin mint etc pump out! Report this Post to the Staff
Mr T Pillar of the Community Australia 2180 Posts	Posted 02/15/2013 06:48 am The Perth Mint struck circulating Australian coins up until 1983 I believe. I think it was sold in 1985 and since then has produced non-circulating coins. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 17012 Posts	Posted 02/15/2013 6:16 pm The status of the Perth Mint as to whether it is a "government" mint or "private" mint is somewhat ambiguous. It was originally the Perth branch of The Royal Mint and struck sovereigns and circulation coins, but the facility was sold to the Western Australian state government in 1970. As such, it continued to supplement circulation coinage production until 1983. In 1987 it was corporatized under the name "Gold Corporation" with a mandate to produce NCLT bullion coins, and runs today on a business model not too different from the "private" mints mentioned above, but it is still owned by the WA government. In that sense, Perth Mint is not too dissimilar to the four mints in Germany, which are owned by the states in which they are situated, rather than by the federal government. It no longer produces circulation coins, but it is the "official mint" for Australian mass-produced bullion coins. For collector coins, the Perth Mint and Royal Australian Mint are effectively rivals, competing for the same collector market. Sometimes the two mints will even issue different rival coins for the same event, although for other events the two mints have issued joint sets. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
kg5 Valued Member Australia 496 Posts	Posted 02/15/2013 7:37 pm Amazing! Many Aussie coin forums!I like this very much! I have enjoyed looking at some of the Perth Mint Australian bullion coins but their price compared to bullion costs has stopped me from collecting them. Report this Post to the Staff
onecenter New Member United States 34 Posts	Posted 02/16/2013 03:14 am If I remember correctly, the Perth Mint also is in the planchet fabrication business and is one of the suppliers of one ounce blanks to the US Mint for the silver Eagle program. Report this Post to the Staff
Anjohl Pillar of the Community Canada 815 Posts	Posted 02/17/2013 12:32 am As I said, the Zodiac series are absolutely stunning designs, and I don't mind paying a premium, since it is an extremely limited series. Report this Post to the Staff
Eric Valued Member Australia 222 Posts	Posted 02/18/2013 4:38 pm Yes the Perth Mint is an official mint and they mint legal tender (although this legal tender was not meant for circulation). I have however spent Perth Mint product at my local grocery shop, and haven't had any issues doing so. If you want to buy Perth Mint product cheap, wait a few years, and if the issue is a common one, you'll be able to pick them up near the melt value eventually. Report this Post to the Staff
robster Pillar of the Community Australia 674 Posts	Posted 02/18/2013 5:03 pm Wish I worked in THAT Grocery Store.!! Report this Post to the Staff
Basil Pillar of the Community Australia 1047 Posts	Posted 02/18/2013 5:37 pm Quote: If you want to buy Perth Mint product cheap, wait a few years, and if the issue is a common one, you'll be able to pick them up near the melt value eventually. Sometimes its only a matter of Months before it drops under dealer buy price.Their killing the Golden Goose and can't see it,glow in the dark coins,Pleeeze. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 10 / Views: 1,958

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