Wooden bullion truck, c.1897

Made of well seasoned elm, two inches thick, six of these trucks were ordered in 1897 for the new Perth Branch of The Royal Mint. Elm is a hard, strong wood making it an ideal material to make carts designed to move loads of heavy gold around the premises. Gold had to be packed into the trucks carefully to balance the weight otherwise the truck could topple over.

Regulation 24 of the Mint's departmental regulations explains their use: "Each deposit, with the ticket giving its number and weight, is to be then placed in a truck. Truck to be locked as soon as weighing is finished, or the truck is full. The Bullion Clerk to have one key of the truck and the Clerk in Charge of the Melting House another. Trucks containing deposits to be sent to Melting House as soon as possible.”