2000 Millennium Incuse RAM Image

[Steveqld]

Well the material from the RAM has arrived with mixed feelings.

Firstly if this is all the information about this die that is available then the records kept by the RAM would have to be the worst I've seen of any government department.

I do however have 11 pages of tooling reports.

The incused variety was the first version signed off at the RAM.  A MASTER TOOLING REPORT signed off on 26/8/99 describes the product as "AUST 50 CENTS REV (MILENNIUM YEAR) (Production) Circ./Uncirc.

Attached to this however is only the diagram of the incused variety.  That then begs the question whether the incused variety was originally intended for both the circulation and uncirculated strikes.

However on 15/10/99 a revised MASTER TOOLING REPORT was issued describing the product as "AUSTRALIAN 50 CENT REVERSE MILLENNIUM PRODUCTION (REMAKE 'FLAG HEIGHT').  This noted "NOTE: Relief to be reduced by a further 15 to 20% on reducing (unreadable but appears to be W/C)".  This is attached to the diagram for the 1st version of the common inscribed variety.

On 19/04/00 we have a third Master Tooling Report described as AUST 50 CENTS REV (RELIEF LOWERED ON PLASTER)  Other than being of a lower relief this appears to be identical to the second master tooling report and probably replaced it (ie the second iteration of the inscribed variety) and gave effect to the Note on the second report about reducing the relief by 15 - 20%.

There is some support for this from the die production reports.

The incused MASTER TOOLING REPORT was dated 26/8/99 and in 1999 16 die were produced from that master.  These were:
20/9/99   UO-1101 to UO-1104  (4 die)
01/11/99 UO-1111 to UO-1112 (2 die)
3/11/99  UO-1113 to UO-1122 (10 die)

That die report clearly indicates the use of the die was UNC.  For the die production on 20/9/99 the entry has been amended and did read that 10 die had been produced on that date up to die number UO-1110 but this was crossed out.  Whether die numbers UO-1105 to 1110 were never produced or were defective and destroyed isn't mentioned.  It appears those die do not exist.

The second die report indicates 50 die were produced and that these were for CIRC coins.
22/5/00 O-11021 to O-11030 10 die
16/6/00 O-11031 to O-11050 20 die
1/8/00  O-11051 to O-11070 20 die

Note the difference in the prefix for the die numbers.  For the UNC die it is UO and for circulation dies it is O.

So that's it.  Not much we didn't already suspect.  It questions whether the incused variety was originally intended for both CIRC and UNC die (as indicated on the first MASTER TOOLING REPORT) before they made a REMAKE (FLAG HEIGHT) which was an inscribed version and this was later reduced in relief which became the CIRC die.  There is nothing suggesting any die were made from the REMAKE version before the 3rd master was produced.

Apparently documents about the RAM decision making and how the UNC die came to be used for CIRC strikes are non-existent and we're still none the wiser about whether paint or resin was intended for the incused variety.

If anyone is interested in a copy then pm me otherwise they will make an appearance on the RAM website under their Information Publication Scheme some time in the next week.  If there's sufficient interest I can scan them into my gallery and post links.

[purplepennyhunter]

I'd like a copy Steve although if the info is the same I can probably print or save it from the RAM site when it's up, if it's complete.

FYI the code on my old 50c die is 1/11018 -must be older.  5c die 0-8780, 10c 0-3523, 1c 0\6092
Your info has helped me figure out that the 5c die was a circulation die.
edit: Found a PO, I wonder if that was a proof die?

[Steveqld]

I'd like a copy Steve although if the info is the same I can probably print or save it from the RAM site when it's up, if it's complete.

FYI the code on my old 50c die is 1/11018 -must be older.  5c die 0-8780, 10c 0-3523, 1c 0\6092
Your info has helped me figure out that the 5c die was a circulation die.
edit: Found a PO, I wonder if that was a proof die?

I suspect you're right about the die prefix but the FoI officer is away for another 2.5 weeks so can't ask her.

[robbiegal]

author edit - nah I was way off

[Steveqld]

'We have followed up on your enquiry regarding the millennium 50c piece.  Thorough investigations of our records indicate that there were 2 master tools.  The incused master tool was used to strike a series of uncirculated grade dies.  At a later date the incised master tool was used to strike a series of circulating grade dies.  Records indicate that an uncirculated die was converted to a circulating die and used to strike production coins.  The number of pieces a die makes varies and the number of circulating pieces struck by this die could possibly be in the region of 1-2% of total circulation.'

So, although a series of uncirculated grade dies was produced, no uncirculated coins were ever actually minted for inclusion in the Mint Sets and the limited run of circulation coins - namely, 1-2% of total production -  was the only instance of the use of the incused die.  Given that the mintage was 16,630,000, the number of incuse coins issued into circulation should be in the range of 166,300 to 332,600.

I think the RAM rationale for arriving at this figure is very rubbery.  I suspect they arrived at that percentage by considering that 1 incused die got mixed in with the 50 circulating die hence close enough to 2%.  It would assume that all 50 of the circulating dies were used and that the incused die was used for a full run.  Guess we'll never know but from the number I found I'm happy that it's less than 5%.

[Steveqld]

The documents are available on the RAM website

http://www.ramint.gov.au/about/compliance/downloads/2014/2000%2050%20cent%20Millenium%20coin%20FOI%20Documents.pdf

[Australian coin]

looking...
not impressed with that! they did not try, I know what the pics and specifications mean, and that's not proper pics, you want a photo of the plaster and actual dies.
haha should have just flew me to the mint and let me play around in the die room and take pics

[Steveqld]

looking...

not impressed with that! they did not try, I know what the pics and specifications mean, and that's not proper pics, you want a photo of the plaster and actual dies.
haha should have just flew me to the mint and let me play around in the die room and take pics

Photos would have been nice but to be provided under FoI they must have been in existence at the time of the application.  It's not about creating things to answer the application but to provide what already exists.  Perhaps photographs do not exist and all they have is the technical drawings.

Having said that, if this is all that exists for the minting of our national coinage then their records are atrocious.  There should have been minutes of the meetings discussing the design, specifications provided for creating the design, decisions on mintage figures, discussions about using the incused die, proposed mintage figures, number of coins minted per die etc etc.

Still if they haven't got it I can't hold their hand.

[robbiegal]

they are photos aren't they - of the plaster?

[Steveqld]

I'm not sure how they achieved this.

The media center on the RAM website states:

1 December 1999

The Royal Australian Mint has released collector coins dated with the year '2000'; one of these is a commemorative fifty-cent coin bearing the Australian flag and the words 'Millennium Year', likely to be released into general circulation later in 2000. The transition of millennia has influenced the themes surrounding the 2000 products.


Yet from the records the only die that existed at that time were the incused variety.  The "inscribed" die were only made in May to August 2000.

Otherwise the UNC die made between Sept - Nov 1999 would have to be from the "inscribed" hob but they were only approved in April 2000.  Did they use the "high relief" hob for the specimen coins and the low relief for circulation and if so then where did the incused die fit into this?

[Australian coin]

not to mention they made a die with no detail on the flag at all, so the coin could have colour printing on it, ya know just saying they missed a lot