THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN SHILLING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2675, 22 January 1916, Page 3

THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN SHILLING

NEW COINS STRUCK. Tor some time preparations have been in progress at tho Melbourne Mint for the production of silver coins. Hitherto work has been confined to gold coinage. But the shortage throughout the world of silver and the necessities of the Commonwealth have let! to the minting of silver by tho Statss -authorities in Melbourne for the Federal Government. While the processes in the manufacture of gold and silver coins are identical, some alterations in the plant were required owing to the shilling being slightly less in sizo a sovereign. Shillings are being minted first, but later on all other denominations in the existing coinago will-be produced. Official recognition was given last week to the coinage of silver, when His Excellency the Governor , (Sir Arthur Stanley) visited the Mint, in the morning. Ho was conducted over the establishment- by the deputy-master (Colonel M. L. Bagge), and the various processes in the minting of silver were'explained to him. From the furnaces in which tho bullion is melted and moulded into bars of silver for coining purposes, Sir Aithur Stanley was taken into the principal mechanical department. Bars of silver, about 2ft. long, ljin. wide, and pin. thick, wero being run through rolling machines. From one machine to another they wero passed under great pressure until they had been expanded to 7ft. strips about the thickness of a shilling. Those strips were next tested for evenness in thickness. Be the appliances for rolling ever so well adjust-, ed, little differences will occur in the condition of the strips. Should a strip, or "fillet," be a shade thin, it will be passed on for disc-cutting to a machine which mil regulate this inequality. Where the "-fillet" is 'thicker than is required, it will bo used in a machine where it will be shorn of its supeifluity, ©ven'though it he a fraction of a grain. Seven cutting-machines are provided in the works, and three of them wero in operation yesterday, producing silver discs of the size of a shilling. After the marking or raising of the rim of the discs, they, were conveyed to the stamping machine, where, in taking the impresion of the dies, they were subieoted to a pressure of 30 tons. For gold-stamping the pressure is 60 tons. It was at the stamping-machines that Sir Arthur Stanley "struck the first shilling produced iri Australia for circulation. As a matter of fact, tho coin is not' likely to go iuto the actual curTho Governor was allowed to have it, and ho will, doubtless, keep it as a memento of a notable event.

The obverse and reverse figures on the shilling are exactly similar to those oil the silver, coins now in use, with the exception that underneath the year of coinage there is the letter "M." This is to indicate Melbourne as the place of production. After Sir Arthur Stanley had-pulled 1 the ariii which set the stamping-machine in motion shillings flowed out in their bright metallic whiteness with a clinking ring, though not so clear as that of sovereigns. But thesa coins were not' yet guaranteed. They had td>. pass the critical eyes of those whose, duty it is to examine oacli coin separately for dcfects. Afterwards they had to be tested for. the: genuine ring in sound: Any coin that does hot ring absolutely true goes back to the melting-pot. Finally the coins are weighed separately on automatic balances. . •

When the machinery for producing the coins is in smooth working order, it is expected that 50,000 a day will be produced. It is expected that tho plant will be kept employed until about £600,000 of coins liave been manufacThe deputy-master of the Mint is satisfied with the progress that lias ,been made in the manufacture of the new coinage. Sir Arthur Stanley was well pleased with what he saw in the establishment, and he expressed gratification at having had the privilege of witnessing the first production of silver coins in the Commonwealth.