The British Royal Mint – A World Coin Mint from the United Kingdom

Royal Mint Information, Mission and Links*

Coin minting began in Britain in the beginning of the first century BC when coins were first cast in moulds. Minting processes improved with the use of hand-held tools.

Now, the best of technology produces coinage in Britain, but it was built of the best of traditions.

The Royal Mint has a history dating back over 1100 years.

There is an unbroken link from the scattered workshops of the moneyers of Anglo-Saxon London to a single mint within the Tower of London, from a purpose-built premises at Tower Hill to the huge modern coining plant in South Wales.

By the late thirteenth century the organisation was based in the Tower of London, and remained there for over 500 years.

In 1810 the Royal Mint moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Mint began on its current site in Llantrisant, South Wales.

Some coinage facts from the Royal Mint:

• There were estimated to be more than 27.5 billion United Kingdom coins in circulation at 31 March 2007, with a total face value of more than £3.5 billion – all manufactured by the Royal Mint.

• A total of 1.6 billion United Kingdom coins were issued during 2006-07.

• Of the higher denomination coins, it is the 20p piece that is most in demand – with more than 2.3 billion now in circulation.

• In June of 2008, the Royal Mint announced an operating profit of £9.6 million from sales of £131.8 million.

*Whenever possible, information is retrieved directly from the Mint’s site, so it can be as accurate as possible and in the words of the Mint.

It is always best to visit the site using the links here for the latest, updated information.