WORK AT THE MINT

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 184, 2 May 1929, Page 14

WORK AT THE MINT

MANY COINAGES MADE MONEY FOR OTHER COUNTRIES The Royal Mint carries out many coinages besides the British and that of the Irish Free State. Mr. Metcalfe, the designer, is to be congratulated upon his “charming work” and the Free State Government upon their breakaway from the modern stereotyped coin design and the introduction, of what is, perhaps, the most interesting series of coin designs of recent times, says the “Observer.” A special piece of the value of 45 piastres was issued for the Government of Cyprus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British occupation of the island. A coin of this denomination had not previously been included in the coinage series of Cyprus, though the Coinage Order of 1900 allowed such a piece to be struck at the request of the High Commissioner. The coin is the equivalent of the British crown piece. The reverse bears the device of two leopards, as on the arms adopted for the colony. The obverse has the bust of His Majesty as in general use for colonial coinages. The Canberra commemorative florins, the designs and dies for which were prepared at the Mint, were struck at the Melbourne branch Mint. For Palestine silver subsidiary pieces of 100 mils and 50 mils, nickel-bronze pieces of 20, 10, and 5 mils, and bronze 2 and 1 mil pieces, have been coined. A Palestine gold pound piece, the equivalent of the sovereign, has been authorised, but no proposal has yet been made to coin it. A few months ago bullion was transferred from the Treasury at Bucarest to London and refined for a new gold coinage for Rumania in four denominations —100, 50, 25, and 20 lei. The 100 and 20 lei pieces are of the form customary in countries which originally adhered to the Latin Union. The 50 and 25-lei pieces are of comparatively large diameter and thinner proportion, and conform to the type of the -Austrian quadruple and double-ducat pieces or to the sequins of Venice and of the Ottoman Empire, of which they are the historical descendants. Models for these coins were originally prepared by Monsieur Dammann, of Paris, but it was in a relief which it was technically impossible to reproduce on a coinage. New models in .lower relief were therefore prepared by Mr. Percy Metcalfe, “who succeeded in this unusual task, without sacrificing any of the peculiar charm of the originals.” , Mr. Metcalfe has also been engaged upon a new model of the head of King Fuad for the Egyptian coinage, and upon the effigy of King Feisal for the coinage of Irak. In view of the fact that the Arms of the Dominion of Canada granted by the Royal Proclamation in 1921 differ in some respects from those shown on the Canadian gold coinage struck some years ago, new dies have been prepared for the ten and flve-dollar pieces embodying in the reverse designs the Arms as now authorised. While there is no present intention of issuing a new Canadian gold coinage, if such were urgently called for, the anachronism of striking the pieces with dies bearing superseded heraldry will now be avoidable.