Wales so closed in 1908; since then, although banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to have the right to issue banknotes in their own countries, the Bank of England has a monopoly on the issue of banknotes in Wales. The Commercial Bank of Wales, established in Cardiff by Sir Julian Hodge in 1971, was taken over by the Bank of Scotland in 1988 and absorbed into its parent company in 2002. The Royal Mint, who issue the coinage circulated through the whole of the UK, have been based at a single site in Llantrisant since 1980. Since decimalisation, in 1971,
Royal Australian Mint mint in Australia is the Perth Mint. Planning for the mint started in 1959 when it was proposed to move the Royal Mint branch in Melbourne to Canberra. It was officially opened by The Duke of Edinburgh on 22 February 1965, coinciding with decimal currency, which was introduced into circulation on 14 February 1966. The new mint cost A$5 million to build, with an additional $4 million for equipment. The new mint and the Melbourne Mint operated concurrently while sufficient stockpiles of new coinage were prepared and until it was felt that production in Canberra was proceeding smoothly, after which