The
Perth Mint Australia
The history of The Perth Mint started with the founding of the Perth branch of
Britain’s Royal Mint in 1899. At the time, gold sovereigns and half sovereigns
were used throughout the British Empire as everyday circulating coins and it was
the Royal Mint’s responsibility to supply them. Rather than shipping gold to
London and then distributing them back to Britain’s colonies, the Royal Mint
built a number of branch mints throughout the Empire in places where gold was
found. The Perth Mint was one of these – built to refine gold mined in Western
Australia and turn it into sovereigns. When sovereigns were withdrawn from
circulation in 1931, the Mint used its skills in the production of other coins,
while still continuing to refine gold. It remained under British ownership until
1970 when control passed to the Western Australian Government, who owns it to
this day.
Gold Corporation was created under its own Act of Parliament (Gold Corporation
Act 1987) to take over the operations of the Mint and launch Australia’s
official bullion coin program. The Australian Nugget coin was launched in 1987,
and was followed by many other successful Australian legal tender bullion coin
programs and numismatic and commemorative coins.
Today Gold Corporation, or as it is more commonly known, The Perth Mint,
facilitates investment in precious metals not only by supplying coins and bars,
but by also providing the opportunity for investing in precious metals without
the issues associated with taking physical metal, through the various products
offered through Perth Mint Depository. One of these is the Perth Mint Gold
product quoted on the Australian Stock Exchange. The Perth Mint has a reputation
for innovation and superb quality in its commemorative and numismatic coins and
is an important supplier of precious metal blanks to other mints, including some
of the other major mints in the world. With over 80% of its turnover is
contributed by exports Gold Corporation is the eleventh largest exporter in
Western Australia.
A visit to The Perth Mint has become an essential element of any tourist’s visit
to the "golden" State of Western Australia. Offering a unique array of
attractions, including the spectacular Gold Pour and the chance to handle a
400oz pure gold bar, the Mint’s Gold Exhibition and retail facilities attract
thousands of international, interstate and local visitors each year.
Gold Corporation run Australia’s only LBMA accredited gold refinery, which
refines most of Australia’s gold production, gold from surrounding countries and
also secondary gold, mainly from Asia. It is one of the highest throughput gold
refineries in the world and also refines considerable quantities of silver.
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