An Australian tourist is furious after discovering that Australia’s oldest mint hasn’t accepted cash for years, calling the move “crazy.”
Although the Perth Mint in Western Australia produces and sells coins to collectors, cash has not been available since July 2021.
The country’s oldest mint is a popular tourist attraction, drawing large crowds of coin enthusiasts whenever a collectible comes into circulation.
The Perth Mint also has a retail store where the public can purchase souvenirs, as well as gold bars in various metals, including gold.
Chris, a tourist from Adelaide, told Yeah She felt ‘disappointed’ when she went to buy a collector’s coin with a friend and was told that the coin did not accept cash.
“The lady looked at me and said something like, ‘Oh, we don’t accept cash,’ and pointed to the sign on the counter… I thought, ‘This is crazy,’” she said.
‘They have a huge gift shop there and the prices for gifts vary quite a bit.
“There were other things that were quite expensive, but you would think that on the cheapest line they would accept cash… I was just amazed.”
The Perth Mint (pictured) does not accept cash, leaving one tourist ‘puzzled’
A spokesman for the Mint said the abolition of cash was intended to prevent money laundering and “other financial crimes” (see stock photo of a customer paying with his phone).
Chris said she couldn’t use another payment method that day.
She had recently been scammed by a fake parking meter and arrived with cash after having to block her credit card.
The mint, now celebrating its 125th anniversary, was under the control of the British government until 1970, when it was transferred to the Government of Western Australia.
Although the mint produced most of Australia’s lower value coins until 1983, it is now the country’s “largest fully integrated, innovative precious metals company”.
A spokesperson for the Perth Mint said the aim of cashless payments is to combat crime.
“The contactless payment policy is part of our systems and processes to combat money laundering and other financial crime,” he said.
Daily Mail Australia contacted The Perth Mint for further comment.