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Melbourne Mint during World War II
Image: Florin (Two shillings) 50% silver trial
Source: Museum Victoria
Melbourne Mint's skills at accurate production saw it called on for munitions work during World War II. The annual reports during the war years were not published other than as brief summaries of coin production. Their war effort is not mentioned, although the Perth Mint managed a single line in the 1941 Report ?Ammunition work was further extended? and in 1943 ?Various items for maintenance of machine gun carriers were undertaken for the Ministry of Munitions?. Melbourne will have had similar duties but their link with the Department of Munitions in 1943 is only suggested by the record that the halfpenny blanks that year were supplied to the mint by that Department.
At the end of the war the price of silver rose, increasing the costs of coinage. Australia was still employing the original sterling silver quality introduced in 1910 but it was now felt necessary to follow the British to a 50% silver alloy. Numerous experiments were carried out at that time with different alloys and treatments and once work on the new coins began it as all-consuming. The Melbourne Mint was not even able to take any role in the production of the Campaign Stars for the Australian Government.
The strong links with the Munitions Department saw help in preparing the new alloy. Some sterling silver coins dated 1945 were released, but the entire production of the shilling denomination was melted, with only two proof examples, retained in the Mint's own collection recording that this work had occurred (both were transferred to Museum Victoria in 1978). Coins in the new alloy were stockpiled through 1946 and were released after the necessary legislation was passed in 1947.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 1 - 10) 1531 items
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Coin - Penny, Australia, 1940
Coin - Penny, Australia, 1940. Mint: Melbourne. Found under floorboards of one of the oldest 1880s buildings at a mental health hospital, Caloola Training Centre, Sunbury, Victoria, Aus ...
From: Sunbury, Australia Images: 1 -
Token - Halfpenny, Hanks & Lloyd, Australian Tea Mart, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, ...
Copper Halfpenny Token, minted by W.J. Taylor, London. Issued by Hanks & Lloyd, Australian Tea Mart, Sydney, 1857. J.G. Hanks joined A. Lloyd to open a business in 1855. The same year H ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
Token - 1 Penny, Professor Holloway's, Pills & Ointment, London, England, Great Britain, 1 ...
Copper One Penny Token minted by J. Moore of Birmingham. Issued to promote Professor Holloway's pills and ointments in 1857. Holloway tokens are presumed to have been circulated worldwi ...
From: London, United Kingdom Images: 2 -
Token - Halfpenny, Joseph Lane & Son, Birmingham, England, Great Britain, circa 1855
Australia Joseph Lane & Son Token Halfpenny c. 1855 (AD) Mint: Unknown British Standard References: Andrews 673 = Heyde Related 46
From: Birmingham, United Kingdom Images: 2 -
Token - Threepence, Hogarth, Erichsen & Co, Jewellers, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, ...
Australia New South Wales Sydney Hogarth, Erichsen & Co. Token Threepence 1858 (AD) Mint: see References Standard references: Andrews 690 = Heyde 116/2
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
Stamp - Royal Mint, Gold Coin Bags, Early 20th Century
Copper stamp for stamping gold coin bags from Royal Mint. Melbourne. Stamps 'Royal Mint Melbourne' and coat of arms.
Images: 1 -
Medal - Portrait of Zelma Gartner, Andor Mészáros, Australia, 1964 (Bushfire Affected)
Bronze portrait medal of Zelma Gartner, designed by Andor Mészáros and minted in 1964. It was found in the ruins of John and Zelma's home in Mt Macedon after the Ash Wednesday bushfires ...
Images: 2 -
Token - 1 Penny, Davies, Alexander & Co, Australian Store, Goulburn, New South Wales, Aust ...
Copper one Penny Token, minted by an unknown Bristish mint. Issued by Davies, Alexander & Co., of the Australian Store, Goulburn, New South Wales.
From: Goulburn, Australia Images: 2 -
Trial Token - Threepence, Hogarth, Erichsen & Co, Jewellers, Sydney, New South Wales, Aust ...
Australia New South Wales Sydney Hogarth & Erichsen Token Threepence 1860 (AD) struck over a French 1 franc coin of Louis XVIII Mint: see References Standard references: Andrews 691 = ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
Medal - Gold Prize, W J Clarke MLC, Melbourne International Exhibition, 1880
Gold Prize Medal designed by Harry Stokes, presented to William John Clarke (1831-1897), President of the Victorian Exhibition Commissioners for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibit ...
Images: 2
