Currency (Perth Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 2)

The Determination deploys a narrow statutory mechanism: adding coin descriptors to the Schedule to the Currency Act 1965 and fixing physical and design tolerances. The principal legal concepts in the instrument are these.

Specification as if included in the Act’s Schedule. Section 5(2) states the Act “has effect, on and after the day on which this instrument commences, as if” the denominations and standard compositions listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 were included in the Currency Act 1965 Schedule and that the corresponding standard composition of coins of those denominations be as specified. This is a statutory incorporation device. The instrument does not itself directly amend the Currency Act text; it makes the Act “have effect” as if the Schedule included the listed entries.

Standard weight, allowable variation, design and dimensions. Section 6(2) states each table item in Part 1 of Schedule 1 specifies the standard weight, allowable variation, design and dimensions of the coin whose denomination and composition are specified in that item. The table rows therefore operate as the statutory technical specification for each coin type: for example items record weights in grams with numeric tolerances (for instance 31.635 ± 0.500 for certain $1 coins) and maximum physical dimensions in millimetres.

Design-symbol system. Part 1 uses shorthand symbols for obverse, reverse, shape and edge. Part 2 decodes those symbols into described design elements and literal inscriptions. Obverse designs O1-O4 identify an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by specific inscriptions (for example O1 lists “· ELIZABETH II”, “AUSTRALIA ·”, “1 DOLLAR”, “IRB”). Reverse designs R1-R3 describe pictorial motifs and inscriptions, including purity legends and mint marks (for example R1 lists “AUSTRALIAN KANGAROO”, “2015 1oz 999 SILVER”, “P”, the micro letter “A”).

Multiple entries for the same denomination. The Schedule contains more than one entry for the $1 denomination with different standard compositions and design codes. The Determination therefore recognises different coin types sharing the same face value but differing in metal composition, weight tolerances and imagery.

Commencement and authority. The Determination commences the day after registration (s 2). It is made under specific powers in the Currency Act 1965 (s 3), namely paragraph 13(2)(b) and subsection 13A(1). Sections 5(3) and 6(4) explicitly preserve other aspects of determinations under those statutory heads.

Literalness of inscriptions. Several obverse and reverse explanations specify the precise lettering to appear on the coins, including purity stamps (“1oz 999 SILVER”, “1/4oz 9999 GOLD”), issue years (“2015”, “2016”), mintmarks (“P”), designer initials (“IRB”, “AH”) and commemorative legends (“CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE ROYAL BABY”). Those literal inscriptions are part of the specification that the Act is to have effect as if they were in the Schedule.

Technical tolerances. The table gives numeric tolerances for weight (for example ±0.500 g, ±0.030 g, ±1.000 g) and maximum diameters and thicknesses in millimetres. The combination of composition, weight and dimension entries forms the technical standard for manufacture.

Statutory addressees and stakeholders follow directly from the instrument’s content and statutory mechanism.

The Treasury minister or Parliamentary Secretary who made the Determination is the authorising official. The instrument is signed and dated by Kelly O’Dwyer as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer (front page). The instrument exercises delegated powers under the Currency Act 1965 (s 3).

The Perth Mint, as the named mint in the Determination title and as the likely producer of coins bearing the mint mark “P”, is an immediate technical implementer. The Schedule specifies physical manufacturing tolerances and particular mint marks and micro letters (“P”, micro letter “A”), which the mint must observe if it produces coins that conform to the statutory specification. The Determination’s design codes reference designer initials such as IRB and AH; those initials are part of the design elements the mint must stamp on obverse or reverse faces.

Coin designers and manufacturers must conform to the specified obverse and reverse inscriptions and motifs. Part 2 lists exact inscriptions such as “1 DOLLAR”, “25 DOLLARS”, “1/4oz 9999 GOLD” and “AUSTRALIAN KANGAROO”. The designs include both pictorial representations (for example a bounding kangaroo, a ribbon enclosing figures) and textual inscriptions that the manufacturer must integrate.

Collectors, bullion traders and dealers will be affected in how coins are described and represented in the market. The Determination creates a statutory record identifying multiple coins that share the $1 denomination while differing in metal content, weight and appearance. Market participants who ascribe value to metal content or scarce designs will need to match the statutory descriptors to physical coins to confirm which statutory entry applies.

Financial institutions and cash handlers will be affected where legal tender status or acceptance rules depend on statutory coin definitions. The instrument causes the Currency Act to “have effect” as if the Schedule included the entries listed; section 5(2) therefore alters the catalogue of recognised coins under the Act. The Determination does not itself state how the public should treat coins for payments, but the statutory incorporation changes the official register of denominated coin types.

Regulators and compliance officers have a record to inspect. The Part 1 table is the statutorily referenced technical standard for specified coins (s 6(2)). Any regulatory activity that verifies compliance against the Act’s Schedule will use the entries in this Determination as the standard.

Users of the coins , consumers and businesses accepting coin payments , are indirectly affected insofar as the official list of denominations and compositions determines what is a recognised coin under the Currency Act. The instrument lists multiple $1 coins including precious metal versions and base-metal versions, potentially affecting perception and handling rules for $1 coins in circulation or sale as bullion.

No punitive or enforcement provisions are set out in this Determination. The instrument modifies the Act’s Schedule “as if” entries had been added, and references the statutory authority but does not itself create offences or penalties. Any enforcement mechanisms would be drawn from the underlying Currency Act or other applicable laws.

The Determination itself creates technical duties by incorporation rather than by new standalone offences. The duties and rights that arise from this instrument are tied to its function of making the Currency Act “have effect” with the listed Schedule entries and to its specification of design and manufacturing tolerances.

Duty to observe the statutory composition and specifications. Section 5(2) makes the Act operate “as if” the Schedule included the denominations and standard compositions recorded in Part 1. Section 6(2) makes each item of Part 1 specify standard weight, allowable variation, design and dimensions. Practically, the duty on a coin issuer or manufacturer is to ensure that any coin produced under these denominations conforms to the composition, weight, variation, shape, edge, obverse and reverse specifications in Schedule 1. The Determination does not itself set a process for testing or certification; it establishes the statutory benchmark against which compliance would be judged under the Act.

Right to produce coins matching the specification. By prescribing particular designs and compositions and incorporating them into the Act’s Schedule, the instrument creates an official recognition of those coin types. This confers, in practical terms, a right for the authorised issuer (implicitly the Perth Mint) to manufacture coins that match the specification as recognised by the Currency Act. The instrument records mint marks such as “P” that identify the producing mint.

Duty to include specified inscriptions and marks. Part 2 lists precise obverse and reverse inscriptions that form part of the coin’s legal specification. For example obverse O2 requires inscriptions including “ELIZABETH II”, “AUSTRALIA”, “2015”, “1/4oz 9999 GOLD”, “25 DOLLARS”, “IRB”. Reverse R1 requires inscriptions including “AUSTRALIAN KANGAROO”, “2015 1oz 999 SILVER”, “P”, and the micro letter “A”. A duty to comply with these inscriptions arises from the design specification being part of the statutory description under s 6(2).

Duty to meet numeric tolerances. The table in Part 1 prescribes precise standard weights and allowable variations in grams for each item. For example the listed silver $1 items have standard weight 31.635 g with allowable variation ±0.500 g. The $25 gold coin is 7.807 g with allowable variation ±0.030 g. The aluminium and bronze $1 is 13.500 g with allowable variation ±1.000 g. The duty is to ensure produced coins fall within those tolerances.

No additional statutory rights or duties in the Determination text. The Determination does not, in its text, create separate transactional rights such as mandatory acceptance of the coins in private contracts, nor does it specify exchangeability, redemption procedures, or payment limits. It does not state whether the listed coins are legal tender for specific amounts or in what contexts. Those matters, if governed by the Currency Act or other law, are outside the Determination’s express text. Sections 5(3) and 6(4) explicitly note the instrument does not affect other provisions of existing determinations under the referenced Act provisions.

Commencement duty. The instrument commences the day after registration (s 2). Any party relying on the statutory specifications must note that compliance obligations become effective from that date.

Documentation duty. The Determination sets out symbol explanations in Part 2. Manufacturers and others relying on the specification should employ those symbol definitions when mapping the table’s shorthand to physical designs. The Determination’s explicit pairing of symbols to inscriptions establishes the authoritative interpretation of O1-O4 and R1-R3 for compliance purposes.

The Determination does not itself set out penalties, sanctions or an enforcement scheme. The text contains no offence provisions, fines or enforcement procedures. The instrument is a technical determination made under the Currency Act 1965; any penalty or enforcement mechanism would therefore be found in the underlying Act or in other regulatory instruments, not in this Determination.

What the Determination does supply is the statutory standard against which compliance would be measured. Section 5(2) causes the Act to “have effect” as if the Schedule included the listed denominations and compositions. Section 6(2) recognises the Part 1 table as setting the standard weight, allowable variation, design and dimensions for each coin. Consequently, enforcement would logically proceed by reference to those specifications under the enforcement powers the Currency Act supplies. The Determination itself contains preservations in s 5(3) and s 6(4) that it does not affect any other provision of determinations made under the same heads; this suggests that existing enforcement arrangements in prior determinations or in the Act continue to apply as they did before.

Because the instrument does not reproduce the enforcement provisions of the Currency Act, readers must locate the Act’s relevant enforcement sections to identify which acts or omissions attract penalties and which agency performs enforcement functions. The Determination indicates it was made under paragraph 13(2)(b) and subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act (s 3), so enforcement powers tied to those provisions in the Act would be the natural reference point.

Practical enforcement touchpoints implied by the Determination. The statutory specifications in Part 1 create measurable parameters: composition percentages, weights with allowable deviations, diameters and thicknesses, and specified inscriptions and marks. If the Act penalises manufacture, issue, or misrepresentation of coins that do not meet statutory specification, those measurable parameters are the evidentiary basis for enforcement action. Inspectors, technical experts or laboratories would be able to test composition and weight and compare inscriptions to the Part 2 explanations.

No new inspectorate created. The Determination does not establish or fund new enforcement bodies. Any monitoring, inspection or prosecution would proceed under the existing institutional framework created by the Currency Act or other relevant statutes and delegated instruments.

Timeliness of enforcement. The instrument commences the day after registration (s 2). That defines the time from which the specified standards become the statutory benchmark for any enforcement exercise tied to this Determination.

The Determination is explicitly made under, and designed to operate through, provisions of the Currency Act 1965. Section 3 states it is made under paragraph 13(2)(b) and subsection 13A(1) of that Act. Sections 5(2) and 6(2) operate by rendering the Act to have effect “as if” the Schedule included the specified denominations and the specified weight, composition and design particulars. Consequently the Determination is not freestanding law on manufacturing, sale, consumer protection or taxation; it functions as a delegated technical amendment to the Act’s Schedule and to the Act’s specification of physical standards.

Interaction with the Currency Act. The text repeatedly ties itself to the Currency Act. Sections 5(3) and 6(4) state the Determination does not affect other provisions of determinations made for the same statutory heads. That confirms the Determination is intended to slot into the Act’s existing regulatory architecture rather than supplanting other determinations or enforcement rules under the Act. Any legal effects beyond specification,such as whether the coins are legal tender for given amounts, or how they interact with tender laws,are governed by the Currency Act and not restated here.

No explicit cross-reference to other Commonwealth, state or territory statutes. The instrument does not mention Corporations Act, consumer law, taxation or customs. It neither asserts nor disclaims that other laws might treat these coins differently for taxation, securities, consumer protection or anti-money laundering. Any such interaction must be determined by reference to the other statutes and to the Currency Act’s operation as amended by this Determination.

Design and intellectual property. The Determination specifies artistic and pictorial motifs and names designer initials such as IRB and AH. The instrument does not address copyright, moral rights or licensing arrangements for those designs. Those intellectual property matters would be governed by the relevant IP statutes and contract arrangements between the designer and the mint, not by this Determination.

Market regulation and bullion classification. The Schedule lists precious metal purities and inscriptions that market participants use to determine bullion content, for example “1oz 999 SILVER” or “1/4oz 9999 GOLD”. The Determination embeds those inscriptions into the statutory technical standard but does not on its face address market labelling laws, trade measurement laws or consumer protection acts. Interaction with those laws depends on the other statutes’ requirements for accurate labelling and whether they reference or rely on the Currency Act’s specifications.

Customs, export controls, and taxation. The Determination does not mention export controls, customs or taxation treatment of precious metal coins. Any special treatment in those regimes would be a matter for the relevant laws and executive instruments. The Determination’s function is limited to specifying denomination, composition, weight and design for the purposes of the Currency Act.

Administrative practice. The Determination fits into the executive practice of issuing technical determinations under the Currency Act. Sections 5(3) and 6(4) preserve other determination provisions, indicating the instrument is expected to co-exist with prior determinations and with overarching administrative arrangements under the Act.

The instrument is the Currency (Perth Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 2), dated 4 May 2015, and commences the day after registration (s 2). It is made under paragraph 13(2)(b) and subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965 (s 3). The instrument’s title and numbering indicate it is the second Perth Mint determination made in 2015, but the Determination text itself contains no further internal amendment history, transitional provisions, revocation of earlier determinations, or consolidated schedule.

Sections 5(3) and 6(4) act as non-derogation clauses for other determinations made under the same provisions of the Act. They state that the respective section “does not affect any other provision of a determination made for paragraph 13(2)(b) of the Act” and likewise for subsection 13A(1). Those clauses preserve previously made determinations and imply the instrument is an additive specification rather than a repeal of all prior instrument provisions. The Determination therefore appears intended as an incremental update to the Act’s Schedule and technical table.

The Determination itself contains a self-contained schedule (Schedule 1, Parts 1 and 2) that sets out the new entries and symbol explanations. It does not expressly amend or delete any specific earlier Schedule entries in the Currency Act nor does it record amendments to particular page or entry numbers in the Act’s Schedule. The operative wording in section 5(2) makes the Act “have effect” as if the Schedule included the listed denominations and standard compositions, which is an additive drafting technique rather than an explicit substitution.

No footnotes, marginal notes, or transitional timing clauses are included. The instrument therefore does not prescribe savings, transitional arrangements for circulation of existing coins, or grandfathering of prior coin batches. The commencement clause (s 2) is immediate upon the day after registration.

Because the Determination refers to the Currency Act provisions rather than reproducing amendment history, anyone seeking a full amendment chronology should consult the Currency Act and any prior determinations referenced or preserved by sections 5(3) and 6(4). The Determination’s own amendment history is limited to its title, date, commencement and the text of the Schedule that it introduces into the Act’s operation.

The Determination contains no record of litigation, and the instrument itself does not reference any judicial or administrative decisions. The text does not cite precedents, cases or past litigation outcomes. It is a technical delegated instrument that amends the Act’s operative content by incorporating schedule entries and technical standards. The Determination does not include any adjudicative or dispute-resolution provisions, nor does it indicate any active or pending litigation relating to these coin specifications.

For anyone researching litigation that might engage this Determination, the text suggests the proper starting point is the Currency Act 1965 and any enforcement provisions it contains. Since the Determination supplies the technical standards, potential litigated issues would concern whether a coin satisfies the composition, weight and design specifications set out in Schedule 1, or whether actions taken contrary to the Currency Act’s substantive provisions are made out. The Determination itself provides the standard by which a court or tribunal would evaluate such disputes, but it does not record any past adjudications.

Researchers wishing to establish whether any disputes have arisen about these particular coin types will need to search court records and administrative tribunal files for proceedings referencing the Currency Act 1965 and the Perth Mint determinations, or for matters concerning statutory coin specifications, counterfeit allegations, or disputes over legal tender status. The Determination’s text does not, on its face, report any such litigation.

The instrument’s brevity and technical form conceal several points that practical users should note and check carefully rather than assume are self-evident.

Multiple entries for the same denomination. The Schedule lists five items but three of those items are $1 denominations (items 1, 2 and 4), each with different compositions or design codes. Item 5 is also a $1 coin of aluminium and bronze composition. Multiple statutory entries for $1 create potential ambiguity for market participants and cash handlers who deal with $1 pieces. The Determination makes them all statutory entries but does not explain relative priority, contexts of use, or any limitations on acceptance in commerce. Users must map physical coins to the correct Schedule item using composition, weight and design elements as specified (s 5(2); s 6(2)).

Differences in purity phrasing. The Schedule uses the phrases “At least 99.9% silver” (items 1 and 4) and “At least 99.99% silver” (item 2). Those subtle punctuation and digit differences are legally significant in specification contexts. Compliance testing for composition will need to account for these different thresholds because the Determination treats them as distinct standard compositions (Part 1 table and Part 2 inscriptions such as “1oz 999 SILVER” versus “1oz 9999 SILVER”).

Date and inscription mismatches. Reverse R2 (explained in Part 2) requires an inscription containing “2016 1oz 9999 SILVER” whereas the instrument is dated 4 May 2015 and other obverse inscriptions (O2, O3) include “2015”. The presence of a “2016” legend in a Determination dated 2015 can create practical confusion when matching the physical year stamped on a coin to the Determination item. Producers, custodians and dealers should not assume that the year in the inscription must match the Determination date; they should rely on the symbol explanations and the Part 1 technical descriptors to resolve which statutory entry applies.

Tiny features specified. Part 2 requires micro-lettering (“the micro letter ‘A’”) on reverse R1 and designer initials on obverse and reverse. These microscopic features are part of the statutory specification and thus are material for compliance. They can also be hard to inspect without magnification. Enforcement and trade disputes may hinge on whether such small marks are present.

Numeric tolerances matter but vary across items. The silver $1 coins have a relatively generous allowable variation ±0.500 g at a standard weight of 31.635 g. The gold $25 coin has a tight allowable variation ±0.030 g for a standard weight of 7.807 g. The aluminium/bronze $1 has a much larger relative allowable variation ±1.000 g. Manufacturers must apply different quality control regimes per item and calibrate machines and inspection practices accordingly.

Design shorthand requires careful decoding. The Part 1 table uses symbols O1-O4 and R1-R3. Part 2 explains those symbols in detail. Compliance requires cross-referencing the table with Part 2, not relying on shorthand alone. A failure to decode correctly could result in misidentification of which statutory entry applies.

No express legal tender statement. The Determination does not state whether the listed coins are legal tender for particular payments or limits. It only causes the Act to “have effect” as if the Schedule included the items. Practitioners should not infer from the Determination alone how private parties must accept or treat the coins. The legal tender consequences, if any, depend on the Currency Act and other applicable laws.

No transitional arrangements for existing coin stocks. The Determination does not address how previously minted coins should be treated or whether existing stocks that differ slightly from the listed specifications are saved. Producers and sellers should be cautious about assuming that older coin batches automatically comply with the new statutory specifications.

Literal inscriptions and marketing descriptions. Many inscriptions specified in Part 2 double as marketing claims that may have capital market implications for bullion sales (for example “1oz 999 SILVER”, “1/4oz 9999 GOLD”). Sellers should ensure that marketing descriptions of coin content match the statutory inscriptions and the actual measured composition and weight, otherwise consumer protection or trade measurement regimes outside this Determination could be engaged.

Compliance under this Determination is practical and technical. The Determination sets the statutory benchmark; meeting it requires manufacturing, marking and documentation steps.

Map physical coin types to Schedule items. Use the Part 1 table and the Part 2 symbol explanations together. Each Part 1 row pairs a denomination and composition with an obverse and reverse symbol. For example item 1 is a $1 coin “At least 99.9% silver” weighing 31.635 ± 0.500 g with obverse O1 and reverse R1. Ensure any coin intended to be treated as that statutory coin matches composition, weight tolerance, diameter, thickness, shape and edge, and bears the obverse and reverse inscriptions and marks as decoded in Part 2.

Implement measurement and quality-control procedures. The Determination prescribes standard weights and allowable variations in grams and maximum diameters and thicknesses in millimetres. Manufacturers must calibrate scales and measurement equipment to the tolerances listed: for example 31.635 g ± 0.500 g for certain silver $1 coins, 7.807 g ± 0.030 g for the $25 gold coin, and 13.500 g ± 1.000 g for the aluminium and bronze $1. Where tolerances are narrow (±0.030 g), tighter quality control and regular calibration records will be necessary.

Verify composition claims against the statutory phrase. The table uses “At least 99.9% silver” and “At least 99.99% silver” and “At least 99.99% gold”. Materials testing must establish minimum purity thresholds as specified. Record laboratory certificates or assay results demonstrating that produced batches meet the “at least” percentages mentioned.

Apply the precise inscriptions and micro-features. Part 2 specifies exact wording and features such as micro letters, mintmarks “P”, and initials such as “IRB” and “AH”. Include those stamps and micro-letters on the obverse and reverse faces as specified. For micro-letters and small marks, ensure production processes can reliably produce and inspect those features, and retain photographic or magnified inspection evidence.

Document conformity and retain records. Maintain batch-level records that tie produced coins to the relevant Part 1 item, showing composition analyses, weight measurements, dimensional checks, die images or sketches showing obverse and reverse inscriptions, and production dates. The Determination commences the day after registration (s 2), so records should indicate the production date relative to commencement.

Cross-check year inscriptions and issue legends. Some inscriptions include year numerals (for instance “2015” and “2016” in Part 2). Ensure the year stamped on die designs and the physical coin corresponds with the intended issue and complies with the corresponding Part 1 item. The Determination includes a Part 2 reverse that shows “2016 1oz 9999 SILVER” even though the Determination date is 2015; do not assume the Determination date must equal the coin year.

Manage multiple $1 entries operationally. Because there are multiple $1 coin specifications, establish an internal naming or SKU convention that maps to schedule item numbers to prevent mislabelling. Distinguish between $1 bullion-style silver coins and a $1 aluminium and bronze circulation-style coin by composition and design references.

Coordinate with legal and marketing teams. Marketing materials and sales descriptions should reproduce the inscriptions and composition claims precisely as specified in Part 2 where applicable, for example “1oz 999 SILVER” or “1/4oz 9999 GOLD”, and should not overstate purity beyond the legal “at least” thresholds. Avoid marketing language that would conflict with statutory inscriptions.

Reference the Currency Act for enforcement and acceptance issues. The Determination does not itself set enforcement mechanisms or legal tender rules. If questions arise about whether the coins are legal tender in particular contexts, or about fines or criminal liability for producing non-complying coins, consult the Currency Act 1965 provisions referenced in section 3 and related enforcement provisions in the Act.

Prepare for inspection. Enforcement or verification of compliance will rely on the numeric and descriptive parameters in Schedule 1. Keep inspection equipment and assay results available for regulatory review and be prepared to demonstrate conformity to the Part 1 items and Part 2 symbol explanations.

Review prior determinations. Sections 5(3) and 6(4) preserve other determinations made under the same statutory heads. Check any earlier Perth Mint determinations or other Currency Act determinations to see how this instrument fits into the broader set of specifications, and ensure there are no conflicting requirements carried forward from prior instruments.

Record commencement compliance date. The Determination comes into force the day after registration (s 2). Ensure production, marking and sale activities align with that commencement date so that coins marketed as complying with the Determination actually meet the statutory standard from the effective date.