Weighing and assay in the early days of the Melbourne Branch of the Royal Mint

H. C. Bolton and Nicola H. Williams

Abstract

The Melbourne Branch of the Royal Mint was founded in response to demand from prospectors and the rapidly increasing Victorian population for a viable currency. Its basic function was to assay the precious metals received, which relied on accurate weighing. Various officers of the Mint, including Robert Barton, George Foord, Robert Law and Carl Otto added refinements that contributed to the speed and reliability of this process. The Melbourne Mint operated from 1872 until 1968, although gold refining ceased in June 1964, and it then concentrated on producing threepenny and penny pieces, and also one- and two-cent bronze coins for the new decimal currency. The Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, was commissioned in 1965 and decimal currency was introduced on 14 February 1966.

Historical Records of Australian Science 14(1) 47 - 66  doi:10.1071/HR02003