The Royal Australian Mint opened in Canberra on 22 February 1965, ending Australia's long dependence on the Royal Mint's branch facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. This 2015 issue marks exactly fifty years of domestic production under Commonwealth control. The Canberra facility was the first entirely new mint built in Australia rather than inherited from colonial infrastructure, and its opening coincided with decimalisation planning that would transform the currency two years later in 1966.
The Royal Australian Mint opened in Canberra on 22 February 1965, ending Australia's long dependence on the Royal Mint's branch facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. This 2015 issue marks exactly fifty years of domestic production under Commonwealth control. The Canberra facility was the first entirely new mint built in Australia rather than inherited from colonial infrastructure, and its opening coincided with decimalisation planning that would transform the currency two years later in 1966.