The Mint of Norway has minted the Peace Price medal in Fairmined gold for the first time in the award´s history.
Samlerhuset and the Mint of Norway, which produces the medal, has teamed up with the Alliance for Responsible Mining in a bid to highlight the problems faced by artisanal and small-scale gold miners in some of the poorest parts of the world.
The medal, featuring the head of Alfred Nobel, was struck at the Norway Mint in Kongsberg, Norway, ahead of the ceremony on December 10th 2015 when it was presented to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, the mediators credited with saving a country on the brink of civil war in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Artisanal and small-scale mining
Gold mining is a vital source of income for many communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Around 90 per cent of the world’s gold miners work in artisanal and small-scale mines and often face difficult conditions, working with simple tools and regularly using damaging amounts of mercury, a substance which is dangerous for the workers and presents an environmental hazard if not handled responsibly.
The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) is working to transform artisanal and small-scale mining into a social and environmentally responsible activity by supporting miners in reaching Fairmined Certification. To be Fairmined certified the miners must meet strict requirements for responsible practices to deliver social development and ensure environmental protection.
Samlerhuset makes a difference
The jewelry industry has already come quite far with their initiatives to promote responsible supply chains, but the coin industry has some catching up to do. Samlerhuset and the Mint of Norway hope that they can help open more eyes to the problems faced by gold miners around the world.
