FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
Answers to the questions collectors ask most. Anything not covered here can be sent to orders@mintcoinshop.com.au, which is the fastest way to reach the team.
SECTION 1: ABOUT MINT COIN SHOP
Q: Who operates Mint Coin Shop?
A: mintcoinshop.com.au is operated by newsXpress Pty Ltd, ABN 99 098 073 833, an Australian-owned company. Mint Coin Shop is a business name registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Q: Is Mint Coin Shop a mint?
A: No. Mint Coin Shop is a privately owned Australian retailer and an official stockist of coins produced by other mints. It does not produce coins.
Q: Where is Mint Coin Shop based?
A: Head office is at 3A Lynch Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122.
Q: How long has the business been operating?
A: newsXpress launched in 2001 and today supports more than two hundred independently owned retail stores across Australian cities and country towns. Mint Coin Shop is its online coin business.
Q: Is there a shop that can be visited?
A: Mint Coin Shop trades online. Stock is not held in a single location, for security reasons. Orders placed for click and collect can be picked up from 3A Lynch Street, Hawthorn.
SECTION 2: PRODUCTS AND SOURCING
Q: Where do the coins come from?
A: Directly from The Royal Australian Mint, The Perth Mint and Agoro by New Zealand Mint. Mint Coin Shop is an official stockist of each.
Q: Are the coins genuine?
A: Yes. Every coin is new and sourced directly from the mint that produced it. Nothing is bought in from the secondary market.
Q: Are all available coins listed on the website?
A: Yes. Everything available for sale appears at mintcoinshop.com.au. There is no separate list and no stock held back.
Q: Are there coins available that are not shown online?
A: No. If a coin is not listed, it is not available.
Q: How are prices set?
A: Mint Coin Shop follows the recommended retail price set by the mint that produced each coin. Prices are not set against secondary-market speculation.
Q: How can a fake coin be identified?
A: Everything sold by Mint Coin Shop is genuine and comes directly from the mint. Coins bought elsewhere cannot be commented on. When buying outside an official stockist, be cautious with prices below issue price, missing certificates, and packaging that does not match the mint's own.
Q: What is sold besides coins?
A: Storage and handling accessories, including capsules, coin holders, coin boxes, albums and magnifiers, plus Australian numismatic reference books. See storage and accessories (/collections/accessories).
SECTION 3: NEW RELEASES AND PURCHASE LIMITS
Q: Who decides when a new coin is released?
A: Each mint sets the release date and time for the coins it produces. Mint Coin Shop cannot release stock earlier.
Q: Can a coin be pre-ordered before release?
A: No. Coins can be ordered once released.
Q: How is a new release found quickly?
A: Subscribe to the newsletter for release notices.
Q: Why are there purchase limits on some coins?
A: To be fair to all collectors. Mint releases are produced in fixed numbers, and limits mean stock reaches people who want to keep the coin rather than resell it. Where a limit applies, it is stated on the product page.
Q: What counts as one customer for a purchase limit?
A: A named person, a physical address, a neighbouring or similar address used for orders placed in quick succession, an email address, a card number, a phone number, an IP address, or a combination of these. Where it is evident that people have acted together to exceed a limit, that is treated as a breach.
Q: What happens if a purchase limit is exceeded?
A: Mint Coin Shop reserves the right to cancel all orders from that customer. A refund is made less reasonable costs of managing the cancellation, up to twenty per cent, covering bank fees, platform fees and related expenses. Full detail is in the refund policy.
Q: How are bots and resellers dealt with?
A: Orders are checked by hand against the buying rules. Orders placed by bots, purchasing engines or any technology designed to work around purchase limits or embargoes are cancelled.
Q: Why did a coin sell out so quickly?
A: Mint releases are limited and popular designs can sell out within minutes. A coin that has sold out cannot be reordered from the mint.
Q: Will a sold-out coin come back into stock?
A: Generally no. Mint releases are produced once and are not reprinted.
SECTION 4: ORDERING AND PAYMENT
Q: What payment methods are accepted?
A: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Q: In what currency are orders charged?
A: Prices are shown and charged in Australian dollars. Other currencies can be displayed at checkout for reference, based on the delivery country.
Q: Is there a minimum age to order?
A: Yes. Orders require a person over eighteen years of age holding a valid credit or debit card.
Q: When is an order confirmed?
A: A confirmation email is sent once the order is accepted. Allow twenty-four hours for confirmation, or for advice about stock if an item is not available.
Q: Are all orders guaranteed to be filled?
A: Orders are subject to availability and confirmation of price. Stock cannot be guaranteed once an order is placed, and any shortfall is advised by email.
Q: Can an order be changed after it is placed?
A: No. Once an order is placed it cannot be modified.
Q: Can an order be cancelled?
A: Cancellation is only approved at the discretion of newsXpress Pty Ltd, and a restocking fee of twenty per cent applies to cover the time taken to manage the cancellation along with bank and platform fees.
Q: Is a tax invoice provided?
A: Yes. Order confirmation and receipt documentation is emailed with the order.
SECTION 5: SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
Q: How long does dispatch take?
A: In-stock orders are usually processed within two business days.
Q: What does shipping cost?
A: Shipping options and prices are shown at checkout, where the preferred option can be selected before the order is placed. Orders over two hundred and twenty-five dollars ship free within Australia.
Q: Who delivers the orders?
A: Australia Post and courier partners. The carrier is selected at pick and pack based on a range of factors, without further reference to the customer.
Q: How is an order tracked?
A: A tracking number is included in the delivery notification email, and status can be checked on the carrier's website.
Q: Is delivery insured?
A: Insurance and signature on delivery can be added in the shopping cart. Where these are not selected and an order is lost, damaged or stolen, a replacement or refund is not available. Adding both is recommended on anything valuable.
Q: What if there is something unusual about the delivery address?
A: Advise of it by email before placing the order, so it can be taken into account. Examples include addresses where heat, moisture or access may affect the parcel.
Q: Does Mint Coin Shop ship internationally?
A: Yes. Countries served are shown at checkout, and the rate is calculated there based on location and order volume.
Q: Who pays import duties on international orders?
A: The recipient. Import taxes, duties and customs fees are set by the destination country and are charged on top of the purchase price. Customs clearance can also delay delivery.
Q: How are coins packaged?
A: Every order is packed for protection in transit. Stock is held in smoke-free conditions to protect product integrity.
SECTION 6: CLICK AND COLLECT
Q: Is click and collect available?
A: Yes, from 3A Lynch Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, when selected at checkout.
Q: How long is a click and collect order held?
A: Three months from the date the order was placed.
Q: What happens to an uncollected order?
A: After three months, Mint Coin Shop reserves the right to cancel the order without further notice, less a fifteen dollar fee covering card fees and the processing of the order and cancellation.
SECTION 7: PROBLEMS, RETURNS AND REFUNDS
Q: Something is missing from an order. What now?
A: Email orders@mintcoinshop.com.au within five days of receiving the goods. Include the order number, what is missing, and photographs where they help.
Q: An item arrived damaged. What now?
A: Email orders@mintcoinshop.com.au within five days of receipt with the order number and photographs of the damage and the packaging. Keep the packaging until the matter is resolved.
Q: What is the deadline for a return or refund request?
A: Five days from receipt of goods, by email to orders@mintcoinshop.com.au, stating the order number and the reason.
Q: Are change-of-mind returns accepted?
A: No. Refunds and exchanges are not offered for change of mind.
Q: How are approved refunds paid?
A: To the original payment method used for the purchase.
Q: Who decides whether a return is approved?
A: Returns and refunds are approved at the discretion of newsXpress Pty Ltd, the operator of Mint Coin Shop.
Q: Does this affect rights under Australian consumer law?
A: No. Nothing in these answers or in the refund policy limits rights that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law, including remedies where goods are faulty, not as described, or not of acceptable quality.
SECTION 8: COLLECTING AND COIN KNOWLEDGE
Q: What does mintage mean?
A: The number of that specific coin the mint produced. Lower numbers usually mean greater scarcity, which can support future value, though mintage matters most when read alongside price, demand and the rest of the series. See what mintage means (/pages/what-mintage-means).
Q: What is the difference between proof, uncirculated and circulating coins?
A: Circulating coins are made to be spent. Uncirculated coins are struck for collectors and never enter circulation. Proof coins are struck more than once from polished dies, producing a mirror finish and far greater detail, in much smaller numbers. See proof, uncirculated and circulating explained (/pages/proof-uncirculated-circulating-coins-explained).
Q: Why does the same design cost so much more in proof?
A: Proof coins take more work to produce, are made in smaller numbers, and are supplied in a presentation case with a certificate. A silver proof commonly costs several times the uncirculated version of the same design.
Q: What do the letters on a coin roll description mean?
A: H/H and T/T describe how the coins sit within the tube, head to head or tail to tail. Premium and non-premium describe how the roll was assembled and how consistently the coins are oriented.
Q: How does someone start collecting?
A: Choose a theme, start with an inexpensive uncirculated coin or a sealed coin roll, and protect everything from the first purchase. See how to start collecting Australian coins (/pages/how-to-start-collecting-australian-coins).
Q: Which coins make good gifts?
A: Coins dated to a birth year, Lunar New Year coins matched to the year of birth, and coins built around a film, book or band the recipient follows. See choosing a coin as a gift (/pages/coins-as-gifts).
SECTION 9: CARING FOR COINS
Q: What is the best way to care for coins?
A: Keep them in a cool, dry, dust-free place, in their original packaging, untouched by human hands. Avoid garages, sheds and bathrooms, where heat and humidity swing.
Q: Should coins be cleaned?
A: No. Cleaning removes the original surface and typically reduces value substantially. Toning that looks like tarnish is often desirable.
Q: How should a coin be handled?
A: By the edge only, over a soft surface, or not at all. Skin oil marks a proof surface permanently. Better still, leave the coin sealed in its capsule or card.
Q: What should coins be stored in?
A: Rigid capsules matched to the coin diameter, coin holders for volume storage, coin boxes for a run of capsules, or albums for a series being built. Avoid soft flexible plastic, particularly older PVC sleeves, which can leave a film that damages the coin. See how to store and handle coins (/pages/how-to-store-and-handle-coins).
Q: Should original packaging and certificates be kept?
A: Yes, all of it. For proof coins the case and certificate are part of the item, and a proof coin without its certificate is worth noticeably less.
Q: Should an inventory of a collection be kept?
A: Yes. Record what each coin is, what was paid and the date, and photograph both sides. A spreadsheet is enough, and a copy should be stored away from the collection.
SECTION 10: VALUATIONS, GRADING AND STORAGE SERVICES
Q: Does Mint Coin Shop value coins?
A: No. For guidance on working out what a collection holds, see what is my coin collection worth (/pages/what-is-my-coin-collection-worth), which sets out how to sort and record a collection and which reference books the Australian trade uses.
Q: Does Mint Coin Shop grade coins?
A: No. Grading is offered by specialist services, and the reference books listed on the valuation guide explain how grades are described.
Q: Does Mint Coin Shop buy collections?
A: No. Only new coins sourced directly from the mints are sold.
Q: Does Mint Coin Shop store coins for customers?
A: No. A storage facility is not offered.
SECTION 11: PRIVACY AND CONTACT
Q: How is personal information handled?
A: As set out in the privacy policy (/policies/privacy-policy). Data sharing preferences can be set at the data sharing opt-out page (/pages/data-sharing-opt-out).
Q: What is the best way to make contact?
A: Email, by a wide margin: orders@mintcoinshop.com.au. Email creates a record and reaches the team handling orders directly.
Q: Is there a phone number?
A: Yes, 03 9524 8080, for urgent queries. Email remains faster for anything about an order.
Q: How is feedback given?
A: Through the customer feedback page (/pages/customer-feedback), or by email.
Anything not answered here can be sent to orders@mintcoinshop.com.au. Every enquiry is read.