October 16, 2012 – The recently held Pacific Islands Coinage Seminar was aimed at developing the understanding of international coinage issues and trends, and to equip Pacific Island officials with the necessary knowledge and tools to evaluate the effectiveness of their own coinage system.
Dignitaries attending the seminar.
Nine countries were represented at the seminar, which was held over four days from September 18 to 21, 2012 in Canberra, with delegates from Central Banks and financial departments eager to take part in the Seminar held by the Royal Australian Mint.
The Hon Mr Bernie Ripoll MP, Parliamentary Secretary to The Treasurer opened the seminar with a keynote address.
The Seminar was opened with a keynote address by The Hon Mr Bernie Ripoll MP, Parliamentary Secretary to The Treasurer, which discussed the impact of the current global financial situation on the coinage systems of Pacific Island nations and was well received by the delegates.
The first three days of the seminar involved presentations by specialised Royal Australian Mint staff, advising on varied topics from the communication of coinage reform to considerations regarding coin denominations, sizes, shapes, weight and colour. Case studies were also on the agenda, with the Solomon Islands and Samoa reporting on their experiences with coinage reform.
It wasn’t all lectures though, with tours taken of the Royal Australian Mint’s production facilities and gallery to allow delegates to witness the process of coin production, as well as visits to various points of interests in and around Canberra.
Relationships were further developed with the attending delegates, which has resulted in future opportunities appearing on the horizon for the Mint. All delegates reported after the seminar they felt they now had the tools to begin discussions of coinage reform in their nation.
Here you can find the transcript of an interview with the Hon Mr Bernie Ripoll MP regarding this seminar.
For more information on the mint visit the website of The Royal Australian Mint.