Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

1 May 2022

2 min read

Mint of Finland Returns to Profit

After several years of losses, the Mint of Finland has reported a significant increase in sales and return to profit for 2021. Consolidated revenue increased by 45% to €83 million, due largely to a good order backlog at the beginning the year.

Coins Companies

Astrid Mitchell

1 May 2022

2 min read

MDC Online Bridges the Gap for Mints

The Mint Directors Conference is normally held every two years, providing an opportunity for discussions, information-sharing and debate within and about the industry.

Coins Events

Astrid Mitchell

29 Oct. 2021

3 min read

Philippines the Latest Country to Trial Polymer

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has confirmed that it will trial a run of ‘a few hundred million pieces’ of the 1,000 piso on polymer during the first half of 2022.

Coins Substrates, Features

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

2 min read

Royal Mint to Recycle Precious Metals from Electronics Waste

Experts believe that as much as 7% of the world’s gold may be contained within the circuit boards of e-waste, most of which ends up in landfill or is incinerated.

Coins Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

2 min read

Smiley’s People – RDM Issues 1st Not for Profit Coin for Charity

The Royal Dutch Mint (RDM) is the latest mint to create a not-for-profit coin for charitable purposes, designing an exclusive coin in collaboration with the Smiley Movement. For every coin sold, it will donate a food box to the Foodbank Amsterdam at Christmas.

Coins

Astrid Mitchell

26 Aug. 2021

4 min read

News in Brief

The Central Bank of Chile is urging citizens to ferret out any spare change they may have lying around amid a national shortage of coins. In a series of recent Twitter posts, the central bank warned that ‘COVID-19 had affected the circulation of cash’ and hurt small retail vendors.

Coins Companies News

Astrid Mitchell

29 July 2021

3 min read

In Other News…

The Bank of Scotland, one of Scotland’s three note issuing banks, has released its new polymer £50 note, featuring Sir Walter Scott and the Falkirk Wheel, a rotating boat lift in central Scotland that connects two major canals.

Banknotes Coins News

Astrid Mitchell

29 July 2021

4 min read

Royal Mint's Bumper Year Despite COVID-19 and Fall in Circulating Coins

‘The past year has been an extraordinarily challenging one for the world as a whole, and The Royal Mint has been no exception’. These were the opening words in the Chairman’s Report for 2020/21.

Coins Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

28 June 2021

3 min read

In Other News…

The Central Bank of Honduras has announced that a new 200 lempira note will be issued in September. Notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 lempiras currently circulate in Honduras. The last note to be introduced – the 500 – was in 1997.

Banknotes Central Banks Coins

Astrid Mitchell

28 June 2021

2 min read

Support for Euro Remains High, but Not for Low Value Coins

Public support for the euro has reached an all-time high, according to the European Commission's latest Eurobarometer survey.

Banknotes Coins Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

27 May 2021

3 min read

A Year of Pivot for RCM, as Bullion Sales Boom, But Coins Decline

The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) has announced its financial results for 2020. Overall, sales were boosted by 74% due to booming demand for gold bullion products. However, the increased revenue was matched by increased costs, so did not result in a corresponding increase in profit. Instead, profits were lower by 35% due to lower revenues from other parts of the business, among them circulating coins.

Coins COVID-19 Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

27 May 2021

3 min read

US Coin Shortages Persist

Despite the increase in production at the US Mint, coins for general circulation are still struggling to keep pace with public demand, forcing the Federal Reserve to again limit orders from its customers, especially for dimes and quarter dollars. It is monitoring its inventories to determine whether order limits will be extended to cents and 5 cent coins as well.

Coins

Astrid Mitchell

27 May 2021

2 min read

CCL Secure Targets Note/Coin Boundary with SPARTAN

CCL Secure has unveiled SPARTAN™ – an ‘ultra-durable’ new polymer substrate that has been designed specifically to provide a new option for central banks and issuing authorities who have low denomination, high transaction velocity denominations that sit on the cusp of the note/coin boundary.

Banknotes Coins Companies

Astrid Mitchell

27 May 2021

2 min read

Return to Profit on Cards for Finnish Mint

The Mint of Finland, the leading exporter of coins and blanks with 99% of sales coming from overseas customers (up from 93% in 2019), reported near-flat consolidated revenue of €57.2 million in 2020, and an operating loss of €5.1 million (versus €1.4 million the previous year).

Coins COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

4 min read

News in Brief

Brink’s has bought PAI, Inc, the largest privately-held provider of ATM services in the US, for $213 million. PAI offers managed services and tools for ATM owner-operators, as well as owning its own ATMs. It writes its own software, providing cash management and maintenance solutions for ATMs.

Coins Companies News

Astrid Mitchell

29 April 2021

3 min read

In Other News…

Japan will begin issuing newly redesigned ¥500 coins from around November, the Finance Ministry has said, after their initial release in the first half of the fiscal year from April was postponed due to the pandemic, and in particular delays to updates to ticket and automated teller machines.

Banknotes Central Banks Coins

Astrid Mitchell

29 March 2021

4 min read

In Other News…

The Central Bank of Iraq has added a feature to its banknotes to protect them from bacteria and viruses, including the coronavirus strain. The feature is not named, but is described as a biological pesticide developed by international companies specialised in printing banknotes, and is presumed to be incorporated in a coating/varnish. The notes containing the feature will be put into circulation soon.

Banknotes Central Banks Coins

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

In Other News…

The Central Bank of Iran has unveiled the designs of three new banknotes as part of the transition of Iran’s currency from the rial to the toman. Under the changes, four zeroes will be knocked off the rial and it will be renamed.

Banknotes Coins News

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

Shrap Offers a Future Without Coins

At the Future of Cash conference, Chris Forero-Slee introduced his business, Shrap. As he said, he does not expect to be popular with those who make their living from or who like coins. Shrap (the company presumably takes its name from shrapnel, ie. fragments of shells or bullets but also a colloquial term for small change) is a solution that offers an alternative to coins, which they regard as a ‘pain point’ in payments.

Coins Companies