Probus Club of Fremantle visit to Perth Mint
14 Feb 2018
There were 8 members who went on the 1.5 hour tour of the Perth Mint.
During the tour they saw the largest gold coin in the world. It was minted as part of the Australian Kangaroo Bullion Series of coins. Weighing 1 tonne (1,000 kg), it is 99.99% pure gold and is valued at over A$50 million.
The group also saw models of the famous large nuggets found in WA such as the Golden Eagle. This nugget weighing 1,135 Troy ounces (about 35kg) and measuring over 604cm was discovered in a hole in the road near Coolgardie in January 1931 by JJ Larcombe and his son. After the discovery the area became known as Larkinville.
The pouring of the molten gold into ingots is always a wonderful sight, especially seeing how quickly the liquid turns solid.
After watching the employees pressing and finishing commemorative coins, the members had a-hands on experience. It was not the desire to get some of the boundless gold into their hands, but to mint their own commemorative medallion.
After all that hard work, the Devonshire morning tea was enjoyed as much as the discussions about what they had seen during the morning. All agreed it was a most enjoyable day.
Photo acknowledgement: Don Leyland & Perth Mint (Exterior view of the building, Golden Eagle Nugget & gold pouring)
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