Perth Mint

Gold Corporation and its subsidiaries, trading as The Perth Mint, supply precious metal related products and services. Australia’s Gold Corporation’s history 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 coins 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 When sovereigns were withdrawn from circulation in 1931, the Mint used its skills in the production of other coins, although it still continued to refine gold. It remained under British ownership until 1970 when control passed to the Government of Western Australian.

Gold Corporation was created by the Gold Corporation Act 1987 to take over the operations of the Mint and launch Australia’s official bullion coin programme. The Australian Nugget coin was launched in 1987, and was followed by many other successful bullion coin programmes and commemorative coins. The Mint’s refining activities eventually outgrew the old premises in the city of Perth and a new refinery was built near Perth’s international airport. This facility commenced operation in 1990. 

The Perth Mint is listed as an active Good Delivery Refiner by the London Bullion Market Association.