Melbourne Mint

Melbourne Mint
Location:	Melbourne, Australia
Founded/First coin struck:	1872
Architect:	John James Clark
Architectural style(s):	Renaissance Revival

Ornate gates to the Royal Mint

The Melbourne Mint, in Melbourne, Australia, was a branch of the British Royal Mint. Until 1916 it minted only gold sovereigns, and all Australian coins between 1927 and 1967. It is now the home of the Marriage Registry and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, and has been leased to the private sector since 2001.

The former Royal Mint is located on the corner of William and Latrobe Streets (280-318 William Street and 387-429 Latrobe Street) and is of architectural significance as one of the most impressive 19th century government buildings in Victoria, and one of few Australian buildings in the true Renaissance revival style, and a virtual copy of the Raphaels Palazzo Vidoni-Caffarelli in Rome (1515).

The mint was built between 1869 and 1872 to the designs of architect J.J Clark whose other notable works included the Old Treasury Building, Melbourne. It was opened 12 June 1872

See also

• List of mints

External links

• Photo: Melbourne Mint, from the State Library of Victoria
• Brief history and photographs of the Melbourne Mint, from the Australian Architecture Discussion Forum.