The Royal Mint 886-Present
Although the British Royal Mint officially dates from the year 886,
in its early years there was no actual mint complex. Instead, there were
numerous locations in London, little more than blacksmith shops, where
coins were struck by moneyers. Gradually these shops came to be centered
around the goldsmith quarters in the Cheapside district near the Tower
of London.
It took two men to strike a coin on the screw presses in the old
Tower Mint, circa 1750.
During the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), coiners, engravers and
other workmen were organized under the king's command, and by at least
1279, the moneyers were secured within the walls of the Tower itself. By
1340, gold coins were a regular part of the Mint's coinage output.
Except for times of emergency, like the great debasement of Edward IV
(1544-1551) and the silver recoinage of 1696-1698, the Tower Mint was
usually the only mint in operation in all of England.
With the introduction of Boulton's steam equipment at the end of the
18th century and the growing production demands on the Tower Mint, a new
site was needed for an enlarged mint complex. A spot was chosen on
Little Tower Hill, just a few hundred yards from the Tower, and the new
facility was operational by 1806. The Tower Hill Mint was to serve
England for more than 150 years and is the site where the "Una and the
Lion" coins were struck in 1839. An entirely new Royal Mint complex,
built in Llantrisant, South Wales, in 1968, now handles all of the
nation's coinage needs.
Modern British Gold
While gold coins no longer circulate in England, the British Royal
Mint still produces two types of gold pieces for collectors. Modern
proof sets contain commemorative gold coins of varied design.
"Britannia" gold bullion coins are struck to compete with the American
Eagle, South African Krugerrand, Chinese Panda and other world bullion
coins.
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