IMIA President Gerhard Starsich and Managing Director Martina Horakova spoke to CMN about the foundation of the new association, the role of coins in the cash cycle and how the IMIA plans to make the case for their importance, and indeed that of cash overall.

Bulgaria has signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission and the Eurozone group president, paving the way for the country to start minting its own euro coins once it receives approval for eurozone membership.

Consumer demand for ethically sourced and sustainable products has grown in recent years, partly as a result of a greater awareness of the impact of manufacturing upon producers but also due to increased scrutiny over the environmental impact of metals mining.

It is customary in Coin & Mint News™ sister publications – Currency News™ and Cash & Payment News™ – to round off the year with a review of the key trends and developments over the preceding 12 months.

The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are all issuing commemorative coins in support of and to help raise funds for Ukraine.

A group of organisations from both the coin and banknote sectors have joined forces to support a first-of-its-kind in-depth study into the environmental impact of cash versus digital payments.

According to the recently published Royal Australian Mint annual report for 2021/22, the circulating coin, collectible and investment business lines achieved revenue of A$182 million and a surplus of A$23 million after tax, which resulted in a 33% RONA.

The Royal Mint announced a 27.3% increase in sales to £1.4 billion and pre-tax profit of £18 million for the year ending 31 March 2022, an increase of 45% over the previous year, largely due to higher precious metals sales in the UK, US and Europe.

The Royal Mint has launched a special collectable £2 coin to celebrate twenty-five years of the bi-metallic £2 coin. The £2 became the largest circulating coin denomination in the UK following minting in 1997 and introduction the year after, and the new collectible features the original ‘Technology’ design by artist Bruce Rushin.

Swissmint has announced the launch of a new alloy for its silver coins alongside the rebranding of all new collector coins under the title and brand ‘Eidgenössische Sondermünzen’ (Swiss special coins).

Coiniverse, the mobile app platform developed by the Mint of Finland and now adopted by several mints around the world in association with the collector community, has announced the addition of its newest member mint, Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS) – the Italian Mint.

The 2022 Coin Conference, which took place in Amsterdam from 17-19 October, attracted 160 delegates from 45 countries and 92 organisations, including central banks, mints, academia, and industry suppliers.

The significant disruption of the coin supply chain in the United States as a result of the pandemic is well- documented. What is less well- documented, or even understood, is why these shortages have persisted even as economic and consumer activity have returned.

The winners of the IACA Excellence in Currency Awards for Coin 2022 were announced and presented at a special ceremony on 18 October, during the Coin Conference in Amsterdam.

Singapore-based DBS, the largest bank in Southeast Asia, was one of four winners of the inaugural CashTech Innovation awards, presented at the Future of Cash Conference in Madrid in September.

There has been much talk in the cash industry over the past few weeks, following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, about what this means for the countries whose currency – notably coins here – bear her portrait.

It is coming up to ten years since Canada removed its 1 cent coin, or penny, from circulation. A recent survey by Research Co found that 71% of the public do not miss the Canadian penny.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Coin & Mint News™ from the publishers of Currency News™ and Cash & Payment News™, and the only news source dedicated specifically to circulating coins, the minting industry and the numismatic community.

SICPA has recently extended its operations into the gold market with the launch of BullionProtect®, which is now being used by Indonesian bullion producer Hartadinata to provide more confidence in gold bar trading.

The Egyptian Cabinet has approved a proposal to conclude a partnership agreement between the Public Treasury, the Egyptian Mint Authority, and the UK’s Royal Mint to establish a British-Egyptian mint in the Suez Canal economic zone.