The Royal Australian Mint kicks off 2016 with a trip back to the past and the first designs struck by the fledgling Sydney Mint in the mid-19th century. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth were all branches of the British Royal Mint set up to process the large quantities of gold being mined in the colony. The main product was a variant of the world famous Sovereign with a design altered to be unique to Australia.

Along with the design came the introduction of mintmarks, a single letter struck into the coin to denote which of the local mints produced the coin. There were four mintmarks in total, and this new series features them all. First up is the ‘C’ mintmark, associated with the current Royal Australian Mint which is based in Canberra. Also in the series are ‘M’, ‘S’, and ‘P’ mintmarks, one for each of the three original British owned mints. We’re currently unsure if the other mintmarks will be available in gold and silver, but the four-coin set can be purchased in base metal, and apart from the mintmark, carry an identical design.

Available to order now, the 1/10oz gold sells for $300 AUD, the 1/3oz silver for $50 AUD, and the base metal set for $25 AUD, with international buyers getting them cheaper because they don’t have to pay the 8% sales tax.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

The official branches of the Royal Mint opened in Sydney (1855), Melbourne (1872) and Perth (1899). These mints produced sovereigns and other pre-decimal coins until the Royal Australian Mint opened in 1965 and became the country’s sole producer of circulating coins. One of the most visible legacies of these mints was the single-letter mintmarks, which showed astute collectors the birthplace of their coins. Coin’s reverse emulates a Sydney Mint sovereign, a design unique to Australia. ‘C’ mintmark continues the tradition of the mintmark as used by Australia’s first mints.

Throughout the 19th century, Australian currency was an assortment of foreign coins, promissory notes and rum trades. The gold rush of this era became a pivotal period for Australian society, helping to develop both a form of currency and a unique identity. The first factory to utilise this gold was  Adelaide.  One of the most visible legacies of these mints was the single-letter mintmarks, which showed astute collectors the birthplace of their coins. This coin is struck on exquisite 99.99% gold to the Royal Australian Mint’s proof standard. Coin’s reverse emulates a Sydney Mint sovereign, a design unique to Australia.