The Mint Directors Conference (MDC) was originally scheduled to take place in April 2020 in South Africa, but had to be postponed at short notice due to COVID. The event went ahead three years later, in Ottawa in October 2023, and now – five years on – is finally taking place in Cape Town, from 27-29 April, co-hosted by the South African Mint and with over 250 delegates from the minting industry taking part.

The Bank of Namibia has issued a new N$60 commemorative polymer banknote, celebrating the life and legacy of the late President HE Dr Hage G Geingob, who served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death in February 2024, aged 82.

Last month we reported on the 2024 counterfeit figures for the euro. This month is the turn of coins, with figures from the European Commission detailing a sharp increase in the number of counterfeits in 2023 (the most recent year on which it has reported) to 480,371 – up 62% compared to 2022 and the highest level by far since the introduction of the euro in 2002.

The International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) has announced the finalists for the 2025 Excellence in Currency Awards, which are in four categories.

In 2024 the Mint of Finland announced it was to close, and The Royal Mint announced its withdrawal from the export market. Both were seen as signs of an industry in decline, but perhaps benefiting from these development, the latest reports from two leading mints – those of Poland and France – tell a different and altogether more positive story.

The Bank of China and Banco Nacional Ultramarino – Macau’s two note issuing banks – have introduced new 50 and 100 pataca (MOP) banknotes. They are the third and fourth notes in the new Macau series, following the issue of new MOP 10 and 20 notes last year.

The fourth edition of the Directory of Circulating Coins has now been published – the first since 2019.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has announced the issue of the First Philippine Polymer (FPP) banknote series, over two years after the release of the 1,000 piso polymer as a trial in April 2022.

Last month, the International Association of Currency Affairs held a webinar titled ‘Cash Visibility: How the Royal Canadian Mint Manages Canada’s Circulation Coins in Real-Time’, where the Mint detailed their strategies and systems for managing cash visibility for coin in Canada.

The Royal Dutch Mint (RDM) has signed a multi-year agreement with Finland’s Ministry of Finance for the production, marketing and distribution of circulation and commemorative euro coins. The announcement follows the Mint of Finland’s announcement last month that it would cease operations in 2025, following the completion of its existing commitments to customers and suppliers – which it expects to fulfil early next year.