Strike Your Own $1 Coin at The Mint

by Lynley (subscribe)

On a recent trip to Canberra we decided to visit The Mint. We looked through the shop first which has a large selection of commemorative coins, coin sets, uncirculated coins and more and I purchased a lucky penny in my husband's birth year.

After going up the cascade of coins you can either take a free tour or wander around at your own leisure. Kids can also collect from the front desk or shop a My Visit to The Mint activity book and complete the treasure hunt. It's upstairs where you can see some of the most treasured coins from the National Coin Collection on display which was both interesting and nostalgic as I pointed out to my kids many of the coins I had collected as a child and still had stashed away at home somewhere.

There were plenty of other interesting things to read about including the history of Australian coins, the minting process and the change to decimal currency. But the best part was seeing robot 'Titan', the strongest robot on the factory floor, pouring large containers of blanks onto the conveyor belt in preparation for striking.

For a $3 fee visitors can watch their own legal commemorative $1 be minted by a machine in the coin shop, which we did as a souvenir of our visit. We really enjoyed our time at The Mint and the kids found it interesting in a fun way. The parking is free, entry is free, tours are free and there's a cafe if you wish to get some refreshments and stay even longer.

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Why? See where our coins start their journey

When: Mon-Fri: 8.30am-5pm, Sat, Sun, Pub Hol: 10am-4pm

Phone: 6202 6999

Website: www.ramint.gov.au

Where: Denison Street, Deakin

Cost: Free