We continue our periodic series of articles on the latest annual reports from central banks and the information they provide on cash, along with circulating and commemorative coins.

The Mint Directors Conference (MDC) 2023 is fast approaching and the hosts, the Royal Canadian Mint, have shared the highlights of the programme, comprising two days of thought-provoking sessions designed to spark conversation, open minds and look to the future for the global minting industry.

Originating out of the Mint Directors Conference, the Mint Directors Association (MDA) is the newly created not-for-profit incorporated association representing sovereign mints from across the globe.

Brazilian gold aggregator Fênix DTVM, in partnership with company Minespider, has completed their first phase of a gold traceability project in Brazil.

In this article, currency designer Michael Berman touches on his background in the coin design world and explores the use of ProImage’s Arziro software – to design coinage.

Earlier this year, IQ Structures, a Czech specialist in optical nanostructures, launched IQ Mint, a technological solution for anti-counterfeit protection and the visual enhancement of precious metal objects, such as coins, medals and investment bars.

At the Coin Conference in Amsterdam last October, Beatriz Guia of Banco de España provided an overview of Spain’s coin circulation and management. This article is based on that presentation, with an update following the publication of the BdE’s annual report this summer.

The Royal Dutch Mint has produced a commemorative coin to mark 100 years of aviation in Aruba, a centenary since two US Navy Curtiss H-16 long-range maritime patrol flying boats landed for the first time in Paardenbaai, or the Port of Oranjestad.

The Royal Australian Mint has released a collection of five commemorative coins to celebrate the 50th anniversary of what is arguably Australia’s most famous building, the Sydney Opera House.

Danmarks Nationalbank has decided to close the Royal Danish Mint’s webshop at the end of the year, with the decision taken due to declining sales figures and higher coin production costs for the webshop.

Earlier this year, The Royal Mint released a series of coins to commemorate the coronation of HM King Charles III. One of these coins was a special 50p coin designed by one of the Mint’s product designers, Natasha Jenkins.

Coiniverse, the coin collecting app set up by the Mint of Finland, has been spun off from the Mint into an independent startup. As an independent startup, the company aims to increase its user base across the globe and create a trusted collector community where mints are readily accessible.

The Coin of the Year (COTY) Awards have been held every year since 1984, with a panel of judges nominating ten coins in each of the ten award categories. From there, another panel of international judges reviews the nominees and select the category winners.

As with most organisations involved in the production of currency, the US Mint continues to regularly release new products in both the circulating and commemorative spheres. In addition to this, the Mint is currently seeking applicants for appointment to the CCAC, and has announced its participation in this year’s World’s Fair of Money®.

In The Royal Mint's Annual Report 2022-23, the Chief Executive, Anne Jessopp, noted that it has been a pivotal year for the Mint as it embarked on a five-year business transformative plan. Revenue for the year increased by 33.82% to £1.87 billion, from £1.4 billion in FY 2022. Operating profit increased by 27.3% to £17.7 million compared with £13.9 million for the previous year.

As co-hosts of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Australian women’s national football team, the Matildas (so-called due to the country’s famous folk song, ’Waltzing Matilda’), have now been immortalised on a series of commemorative circulating coins by the Royal Australian Mint.

As technology evolves, so do the methods used by counterfeiters and other bad actors in attempting to circumvent any new features put in place to ensure the authenticity and traceability of products. This is particularly true in the currency industries and, most relevant here, in the case of precious metals and numismatic products.

Hosted by the Royal Canadian Mint and scheduled to be held this October in Ottawa, Canada, the programme for the 2023 Mint Directors Conference has been announced. In addition, the World Money Fair’s Technical Forum – scheduled to be held on 1 February 2024 – has announced its Call for Papers for the 20th edition of the Forum.

In the start of a new, periodic, series in Coin & Mint News™, we will be looking at the history of coinage in countries around the world, starting in this first article with Pakistan.

By its very nature, bullion is a valuable and more expensive commodity than standard commemorative coins comprised of nickel, copper or zinc, for example. This can lead to greater scrutiny of the items produced and their provenance.