A New Association for Mints is Born

At the recent Mint Directors Conference in Ottawa, the Mint Directors Association (MDA) was formally announced. It has now been legally incorporated as a not-for-profit association, and is the successor to the MDC, the looser association of mint directors that has been in existence since 1962.

The MDA currently comprises 19 member mints from around the world. Membership is open to any sovereign mint, whilst the qualifying criteria for broader membership within the industry will be finalised at the next MDA meeting, which will be held in Berlin in early February at the World Money Fair.

According to the MDA, its purpose is to ‘promote the mint industry’s role, contribution and significance. It promotes the sharing of information that will help address challenges and foster opportunities for circulating coins, collectible coins and bullion. It provides a forum that encourages innovation and presents best practices – be they technical, marketing or experiences’.

The elected Board comprises the Chair Marie Lemay of Royal Canadian Mint representing North America, Deputy Chair Leigh Gordon of the Royal Australian Mint representing Japan/ Korea/Asia/Australia, and Treasurer Anne Jessop of The Royal Mint. Other Board members include Marc Schwartz of Monnaie de Paris representing Europe, Kenji Goto of Japan Mint representing Japan/Korea/Asia and Australia, and Maria Isabel Valldecabres of FNMT representing Europe. There is a vacancy for a seventh Board position to represent Africa/Middle East/Central Asia.

At a meeting in Ottawa of what was the old MDC, it was decided to dissolve the MDC’s governance and constitution structure and to refer to the broader minting industry, which are not members of MDA, as a network of International Mint Directors (IMDN).

Some of the functions of the old MDC – such as the Technical Committee, the Coin Registry Office and the Mint Directors Conference (the event, as opposed to the association) – will be facilitated and supported by the MDA.

Working in parallel with the MDA is the separate IMIA (International Mint Industry Association), itself a not-for-profit formed last year, with a focus on research and advocacy for cash.

The Acting Director of the MDA is Ross MacDiarmid, former CEO of the Royal Australian Mint. His successor is currently being recruited as he will be stepping down at the end of this year.