Coins are the one material thing that has stood the test of time. With the rise and fall of empires and the crowning of new monarchs, coins are the one stable element throughout history. It truly does make the world go round. They are a marker of the stability of the crown and of the hands the coins have passed through to feed, to clothe, to survive.
The Royal Mint is one of the longest-running institutions in Great Britain and has had many locations throughout history, one being the Tower of London and even across the road to Tower Hill. With growing industrialisation in the nineteenth century, The Royal Mint needed to move with the times and turned to machinery. This doubled its output and was the beginning of the sizeable operation we see now. With the need for decimalisation in 1971, The Royal Mint required more space to create enough coins for “D‑Day” (Decimal Day), and that’s when it moved to South Wales. With James Callaghan as the MP for Cardiff and Exchequer of the Treasury, this was a massive opportunity for the people of Wales. It not only brought jobs to the area but provided enough space to create the coins that the country needed.
Review
I’ve been collecting coins for years. I often searched the change from my lunch money at school and the first coin I remember finding was a Charles Darwin two‑pound coin. As the tour guide mentioned, these coins are not just currency but works of art. I was amazed by the intricate design and didn’t know that the coins could have anything other than the usual designs. From that point, I began my collection! This tour was something I was very much looking forward to!
The guided experience takes you through to the factory floor; unfortunately, the machines weren’t running during my visit – which was a shame. I would have loved to see the coins being churned out in action. I think that, given the factory wasn’t operating, there could have been an alternative immersive element, as I did find parts of the experience a little underwhelming at times. During the guided tour, visitors also have the chance to strike their own coin, and the design changes depending on what the Mint is celebrating – mine was an Aardman 50p coin to celebrate fifty years of the company. As a big Aardman fan, I was thrilled to do this! It makes such a special souvenir from the tour. The striking a coin is an additional fee on top of the experience costing £8.50, which is a great souvenir but I think should be included in the overall tour price. The tour runs for about an hour depending on the party size and the number of questions from visitors, and then guests are free to explore the exhibition at their leisure.
Interestingly, the Royal Mint didn’t produce any coins in 2024 as the Treasury didn’t need any – they control production and demand. The tour takes visitors around the factory to see the presses and the machinery, and shows what the Mint does to diversify its operation beyond coins into jewellery and recycling e‑hardware, such as motherboards, phones, etc., and how the metal is recycled. I also loved learning that the Mint generates 70% of its energy through wind turbines (which are coloured like a daffodil) and solar panels. They hope to be net zero by 2050!
The tour moves from a guided experience to a free‑moving exhibit on the history of coin‑making and how the Royal Mint has changed throughout history. In this exhibition, visitors can take their time to look at coins from around the world that the Mint has created in the past – some really beautiful designs and unusual shapes of coins! I loved learning about how the Mint makes not just coins but also medals, and even, during the Second World War, turned silver coins into bullets. This proves the Mint is reactive to current situations and has adapted to help the nation survive.
Overall, a must‑see tour that removes the veil of mystery from the item that everyone is so familiar with. An insightful look at the history of currency and how integral the Mint has been to the stability of the UK. This is definitely a unique experience that will have visitors eagerly invested in the story of the Mint and will look at the change in their pockets differently!
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and her action-packed debut novel, CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is available in paperback from WATERSTONES and independent bookshops, and ebook (with an exclusive bonus chapter only on Kindle / Kindle Unlimited AMAZON).
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