Virtual Tour

Normally one of our friendly tour guides would greet visiting students in the foyer of the Mint to begin their tour. However, because this is a virtual tour, we thought it important not to skip any aspect of a real visit to the Royal Australian Mint, which would begin as a student steps off the bus and is greeted by a view of our building in all its glory. So that’s where we’ll start today and don’t forget to check back next week as we head inside.

When students visit the Mint they are greeted in our foyer by one of our friendly and knowledgeable Visitor Experience Hosts. There the host will introduce themselves and go through some simple housekeeping items including some special rules to follow when in the Mint's gallery.

In this episode we discuss shells, songs, silver and shipwrecks, as we take a look at how how trade worked prior to the first fleet landing in Australia in 1788.

Join us as we explore the Mint on our Virtual School Tour.

How do you solve a problem like a coin shortage? This week we discuss Australia’s innovative solutions to our first colonial coin crisis, this includes coins that look like pizza slices, all the international currency we could get our hands on, and even rum!

How do you solve a problem like a coin shortage? This week we discuss Australia’s first coins, the famous Holey Dollar and Dump.

Eureka! Australia's Gold rush certainly created some very interesting changes in currency.

Did you know that we haven’t always used the coins that we have today? Watch on to discover the wonderful world of pounds, shillings and pence with Georgina.

Warning: tricky maths involved! 

On the 14th of February 1966, Australia’s shiny and new decimal currency was released into circulation. 
 

Did you know our 50c piece used to be round? Watch on to learn about some of the changes we’ve made to our decimal coins since 1966.
 

We couldn’t get through a school tour without talking about our robots Titan, Penny and Robbie! Join us today as we take you through the Circulating Coin hall to learn how we make all the coins in your pockets, wallets and down the back of your couches.