<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>340205</docID> <postdate>2025-03-13 09:29:01</postdate> <headline>Journey through six decades of the Mint’s history</headline> <body><p class="p1"><span class="kicker-line">The Royal Australian Mint is celebrating 60 years of history with an exhibition that takes visitors on a journey from the Mint’s humble beginnings as a sheep paddock to its $6.5 million museum refurbishment in 2024. </span></p> <p class="p2"><strong>The Royal Australian Mint's <i>Mint60 Exhibition</i> exhibition offers the opportunity to learn about the Mint’s architect, Richard Ure, who also designed Canberra’s iconic Black Mountain Tower.</strong></p> <p class="p3">Visitors can unearth secrets of the Mint and discover why the solid rock encountered during excavation turned out to be an unexpected benefit.</p> <p class="p3">Among the rare historic photos is one of Prince Philip opening the Mint on February 22, 1965.</p> <p class="p3">The Duke of Edinburgh was presented with a Year Set, which he gifted back so it could be displayed in the Museum. There is also a photo of Queen Elizabeth II inspecting machinery at the Mint in 1970.</p> <p class="p3">The museum showcases never-before-seen coins from the National Coin Collection, which includes the Beauty, Rich & Rare – Daintree Rainforest $100 Coloured Gold Proof Domed Coin and the Australian Rainforest Cassowary $200 Gold Proof Coin.</p> <p class="p3">Also on display are beautifully designed medallions and tokens, including the National Antarctic Research Expedition Bronze Medallion and WWF for Nature, Western Swamp Tortoise Token.</p> <p class="p3">The robot featured in the <i>Mint60 Exhibition</i> was affectionately named Roxie by the Mint’s coin-packing team in 2004. Roxie picked and packed coins using a camera to ensure they were facing the right way. Able to run day and night, Roxie was retired in 2021.</p> <p><img class=" wp-image-340208" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/RAMINT-Prince-Philip-opening-Mint-Credit-NCAA.jpg" alt="" width="752" height="501" /></p> <caption>Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, presses the first coin at the opening of the Royal Australian Mint (1965) Photo: National Archives of Australia</caption> <h3 class="p1"><span style="color: #800000;"><b>Duke of Edinburgh opens the Mint</b></span></h3> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>It was 38</b></span><span class="s2"><b>º</b></span><span class="s1"><b>C when His Royal Highness Prince Philip officially opened the Royal Australian Mint on February 22, 1965. </b></span></p> <p class="p2">Despite the heat, 600 people attended the event.</p> <p class="p3">Prince Philip struck a coin using one of the Mint’s presses and was presented with a Year Set containing all six new decimal coins.</p> <p class="p3">He gifted the set back to the Mint so it could be displayed in the Museum, which is where it remains today.</p> <p><img class=" wp-image-340210" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/RAMINT-Sheep-in-paddock-photo.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500" /></p> <caption>Sheep grazing in front of the Royal Australian Mint (c. 1965)... residents were assured there would be no smoke, noxious fumes or noise from the new building.</caption> <h3 class="p1"><span style="color: #800000;"><b>From grazing to minting</b></span></h3> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>It made sense for the Mint to be built in the Nation’s Capital. </b></span></p> <p class="p2">Initially, the preferred site was on the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and King Edward Terrace, near the Treasury Department, but this site was deemed unsuitable due to unstable seismic refraction.</p> <p class="p3">The site where Parliament House now stands was also considered, but Treasury settled on the Deakin site, which was then a sheep paddock, after assuring residents that there would be no smoke, noxious fumes or noise.</p> <p class="p3">During construction, solid rock was encountered in the basement and main vault excavations, which actually helped secure the vaults.</p> <p class="p5"><i>The Mint60 Exhibition is on until May 11.</i></p> <p class="p5"><i>The Royal Australian Mint, Denison Street, Deakin, <a href="http://ramint.gov.au">ramint.gov.au</a>, call 1300 652 020, email <a href="mailto:hello@ramint.gov.au">hello@ramint.gov.au</a></i></p> </body>