The Royal Mint Museum

The Royal Mint Museum As guardians of the history of the official maker of UK coins, we bring to life over a thousand years of making money. The Royal Mint Museum

Our collections tell stories of global history, art, politics, technology, industry and, above all, people.

This medal from our collection is noteworthy both for its technical innovation and its association with R.A. Hill, a sig...
02/09/2026

This medal from our collection is noteworthy both for its technical innovation and its association with R.A. Hill, a significant figure in Mint history. As Head of Production for thirty years during the second half of the nineteenth century, Hill played a key role in the development of the Mint's manufacturing processes.

The medal itself relates to the Abyssinia Medal of 1867–68, whose production posed a significant technical challenge. Each medal required the recipient's name to be struck in relief on the reverse, leading to the creation of special composite dies with detachable centres.

Named to Hill himself, this specimen may have been a trial piece produced to test the effectiveness of this innovative but labour-intensive method before full-scale production began.

We are all familiar with the use of passes to gain access today, but few modern examples are as fancy as this ivory exam...
01/09/2026

We are all familiar with the use of passes to gain access today, but few modern examples are as fancy as this ivory example in our collection.

Associated with William Wellesley Pole, Master of the Mint from 1814 to 1823, this was not a pass for entry to the Mint. Instead, it was a Horse Guards pass, granting access through the Horse Guards arch into St James's Park and the enclosed private gardens beyond. These special ivory passes were issued to favoured courtiers, a tradition that continues today, although modern passes are made of plastic. Only the monarch has the right to pass through the arch without one.

This rather unusual piece in the Mint collection has so far eluded attempts at a full and proper identification. It is a...
31/08/2026

This rather unusual piece in the Mint collection has so far eluded attempts at a full and proper identification. It is a uniface two-pound coin dated 1841 in 22ct gold, featuring a distinctly Victorian design with a trident and two dolphins.

What makes this coin especially intriguing is the lack of any authoritative record explaining who created the design or why the piece was struck. Some have suggested it may have been produced in connection with proof sets prepared during the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, but no conclusive evidence has yet come to light.

The design bears a striking resemblance to the reverse of an 1824 medal of George IV by Benedetto Pistrucci. However, by 1841 Pistrucci’s involvement in engraving dies for the coinage had ended, making it difficult to explain how his design might have been reused.

What do you think? Could this be an overlooked proof issue, a private commission, or something else entirely?

Collectors of British coins will be very familiar with the reverse design of the 1953 Coronation Crown by Edgar Fuller, ...
30/08/2026

Collectors of British coins will be very familiar with the reverse design of the 1953 Coronation Crown by Edgar Fuller, modelled by Cecil Thomas. Less familiar, however, is this exceptionally rare pattern showing Fuller’s original reverse design in a much more elaborate and heavily ornamented form.

By December 1952, as pressure mounted to begin production of the crown pieces, discussions were still taking place about simplifying the reverse. When this trial coin was reviewed, the Royal Mint Advisory Committee considered the design too crowded in appearance and a less congested version was eventually approved for circulation.

This rare pattern remains an intriguing glimpse of the original concept and perhaps better reflects the power and presence of Fuller’s vision.

Do you prefer the detailed original design or the simplified version that was ultimately chosen?

Double portraits representing alliances, succession and constitutional arrangements, have appeared on a small number of ...
29/08/2026

Double portraits representing alliances, succession and constitutional arrangements, have appeared on a small number of modern commemorative crown coins, including those issued for the marriage of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the Golden Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.

Earlier examples, however, can be found on circulating British coinage several centuries ago. The first English coins to feature a double portrait were issued during the reign of Mary I following her marriage to Philip of Spain. Their facing portraits appeared on shillings and sixpences, with Philip placed on the left in accordance with contemporary conventions. Similar designs later appeared on Scottish coins for Mary Queen of Scots and her husbands, Francis, Dauphin of France, and Henry, Lord Darnley.

The next significant use of a double portrait came after the Glorious Revolution, when William III and Mary II were declared joint monarchs in 1689. Their coins featured conjoint portraits, reflecting a design style influenced by classical Roman coinage.

For this week, we're highlighting the Rugby School's King's Medal. Originally established by Queen Victoria in 1848, t...
28/08/2026

For this week, we're highlighting the Rugby School's King's Medal. Originally established by Queen Victoria in 1848, the medal is awarded for excellence in historical scholarship.

Our collection includes the original punches used to stamp the lettering on the tools for the medal. Rather than using a standard typeface, each letter was cut by hand at size, specifically for this design, before being used to produce the inscription on the dies. The result is a bespoke lettering style unique to the medal.

The bible was a popular source for coin inscriptions from the medieval period, and it is no surprise to find such phrase...
27/08/2026

The bible was a popular source for coin inscriptions from the medieval period, and it is no surprise to find such phrases throughout the Royal Mint Museum collection. Sometimes used to bolster the authority of a monarch, or to recontextualise a reign amidst troubled times, these inscriptions carry a weighty social and political significance.

Check out the guest article on our website, by Dr Daniel Rignall, which explores the detailed and fascinating history of these coin inscriptions.

https://bit.ly/4py3H0d

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Do you have Harry Brockway's work in your collection? He created many beautiful designs for The Royal Mint like the 2018...
27/08/2026

Do you have Harry Brockway's work in your collection? He created many beautiful designs for The Royal Mint like the 2018 Christmas Nutcracker £5 coin and the 2021 Lunar Year of the Ox coin, as well as contributing designs for King Charles III's new definitive coinage. But did you know he was also an acclaimed printmaker and sculptor?

'Ways with Wood' at Somerset Rural Life Museum offers a chance to explore his wider body of work. If you're thinking of visiting, don't leave it too long as the exhibition closes on 2 September 2026.

Find out more here:

https://bit.ly/3Sbpper

Today is , so we are sharing this photograph from our archives.The image dates from the time when the Royal Mint was ba...
26/08/2026

Today is , so we are sharing this photograph from our archives.

The image dates from the time when the Royal Mint was based at Tower Hill in London. Security has always been an important part of life at the Mint. For many years the site was guarded by a battalion of the army, with responsibility later passing to the Metropolitan Police.

The photograph comes to us with very little information, but it seems this canine companion may also have played a part in keeping watch over one of the nation's most important institutions.

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