Before a legal tender coin is struck, the design and specifications must be approved for release. Currency determinations are published so we can see beforehand what is likely to be struck. In a currency determination dated December 16th 2010 the Assistant Treasurer approved 3 new coins to be struck.
One of these will be an aluminium bronze 25mm one dollar with the Shilling Ram design. The most important detail of this determination is that it is to be struck with a "'P' enclosed by a circle". It will be a P counterstamp dollar which will be struck with the counterstamp at the venue of release, P for Perth, Western Australia.
Different to a mintmark which is simply the letter with no surround, or the privymark which is a letter with a square surround, the counterstamp is a letter surrounded by a circle. The letter, in this case a "P" for Perth within a circle is stamped on a pre-struck coin at the location of the coins' release, usually a show or special event that the RAM attends with their mobile coin press. We have written an article previously outlining the differences with these mintmarks, privymarks and counterstamps.
To do this the Royal Australian Mint will take their portable press to the ANDA show on February 5th-6th in Perth. We last saw the mobile press in action at the Canberra ANDA show in November 2010 and we are very pleased it will be seen again so soon.
Posted by harrisk at January 14, 2011 7:48 AM
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