Who is The Perth Mint?
The Perth Mint is the trading name of Gold Corporation, which is wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia. Originally opened in 1899, The Perth Mint was established to turn the gold from the Western Australian gold rush into sovereigns for the British Empire. Through its legal tender Bullion Coins and Depository facility, The Perth Mint has established a formidable reputation as a leader in international precious metal investment.
Why should I trust the Mint or the Government?
For those who don't feel safe holding their precious metals themselves, we believe that after reading the Government Guarantee and Allocated vs Unallocated webpages you will feel more comfortable trusting The Perth Mint with your precious metal investment.
Why should I store my precious metals in Perth?
Perth is geographically isolated on an island continent. It is the capital city of one of Australia's wealthiest states, Western Australia. Australia is a politically and economically stable country and it's legal, commercial and political structures are derived from systems developed in the United Kingdom.
Western Australia's goldfields are a major world source of gold. The Perth Mint, through its interest in AGR Matthey, refines the majority of this mine output averaging over 400 tonnes of gold.
The Mint itself is also a large user of gold in its bullion and numismatic programs and in its blank manufacturing operations, where it supplies many of the world's Mints with precious metal blanks for their own coin programs. Unlike other depositories, which are merely warehouses, Perth Mint Depository is therefore intimately involved in and in close proximity to the physical gold market.
Perth Mint Depository stores precious metal in a high security environment approved by international insurers. That environment includes physical security (such as vaults and security staff), electronic security (such as surveillance and alarms), and an impressive level of procedural security for receiving, releasing and accounting for precious metal deposits.
As a result, The Perth Mint offers one of the world's most secure locations for hard asset storage.
How confidential are my Depository transactions?
Under Section 74 of the Gold Corporation Act 1987 employees of the Mint face imprisonment of 1 year if they divulge any information concerning clients' transactions and 2 years imprisonment if they destroy or falsify the Mint's records.
Naturally the Mint will comply with any valid request for information from Australian authorities or Governmental agencies. Requests for information from Governmental agencies of other countries are forwarded to the Chief Executive Officer of The Perth Mint for review and to the Western Australian Government if there is any question on the validity of the request or need to comply.
Are there any taxes associated with holding precious metals or with taking delivery of precious metals in Australia?
There are no Australian taxes or duties on the import, export or domestic purchase and sale of high purity precious metal bars or bullion coins. No Australian tax is generally payable by an international client on his/her deposit. You should consult your taxation advisor for specific taxation advice in your jurisdiction.
May I audit my deposit?
Allocated precious metal holders may inspect or collect their deposits at The Perth Mint subject to satisfactory personal identification and account verification. It is essential to make an appointment to view Allocated metal.
Alternatively, a third party nominated by you will be permitted to audit your deposit on presentation of an acceptable instruction from you to the PMDP Depository Services Manager.
For Unallocated or Pool Allocated holders, the fact that there is no specific bar or coin recorded against individual clients and the metal backing their account is pooled, it is not possible for a client to audit these types of holdings. Pool Allocated and Unallocated investors rely on the Mint's audited Annual Reports, which are signed off by the Auditor General of Western Australia that they comply with the Financial Management Act 2006 and the Gold Corporation Act 1987. The reports are available online at
http://www.perthmint.com.au/about_us_the_perth_mint_annual_reports.aspx
In addition, Pool Allocated investors will be able to view bar listings online at
http://www.perthmint.com.au/pool_allocated_bar_listing.aspx
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