I’ve just struck my first UK coin…
Striking my very own £1 coin was just one of the highlights of the new Royal Mint visitors centre which opened on the 18th May.
I struck my very own ‘Last Round Pound’
Until last week, the workings of the Royal Mint have remained a closely guarded secret, secured behind high fences and guarded by MOD Police.
But that’s all changed with the opening of the new Royal Mint Experience.
As a keen Change Checker myself, I made sure that I was one of the very first people through the doors on opening day. And this is what I found…
The Royal Mint moved to Llantrisant in Wales in 1968 specifically to strike the new coins that were to be issued as part of decimalistaion in 1971. Before the production of coins moved here, there were two other main Royal Mint locations – The Tower of London and then Tower Hill.
For the first time in over 1000 years, the Royal Mint have opened its doors to the general public allowing unprecedented access to the history of our coins and a look behind-the-scenes of the UK’s oldest institution.
Let me tell you about my experience…
The tour starts with a short introduction to the Royal Mint before being guided over to a separate building to start the factory experience.
The Journey of a coin before it reaches our pockets
Each UK denomination is made up of different compositions which are agreed between The Royal Mint and HM Treasury but the exact amount is kept top secret. For example, 50ps are made from Cupro-nickel while Two pound coins are made from a combination of Nickel-Brass and Cupro-nickel.
These different metals are melted in temperatures that can reach up to 1450°C and then cooled before being rolled into large strips called ‘coils’.
Before the strips are rolled into the correct thickness required for the denomination, half a millimeter is shaved from the surface to remove the impurities which leaves it clean and shiny ready for striking.
Blanks are then punched from these strips at an extraordinary rate of 8,000 per minute per machine.
Depending on the denomination, some coins will have their edge lettering applied. This is to help against counterfeiting. What you may not know though, is the edge lettering is applied before the coin has even been struck.
Striking a coin
An astonishing 1500 Million coins are issued in the UK every year and this all takes place at the Royal Mint is Llantrisant. Add to this number the amount of coins they strike for other countries and you’ll reach an extraordinary 5 billion coins minted in just one year. That’s 90 million coins a week!
I mentioned earlier that the Royal Mint strike coins for as many as 60 other countries around the world. All this takes place in the same warehouse and you will be able to see the forklifts moving coins from machine to machine before they are eventually counted and bagged or boxed according to each countries criteria.
“I struck this coin”
As part of the Royal Mint experience, visitors can strike their own coins. What’s even more exciting is that I struck a 2016 ‘Last Round Pound’ £1 coin. You’ll know that the ‘Last Round Pound’ will not be entering circulation and is only available to buy in Brilliant Uncirculated condition. This striking process is only open to visitors and so only those who visit the attraction will have the opportunity to strike their very own ‘Last Round Pound’.
Adult tickets cost £13.50 and are available to buy from the Royal Mint website.
The WWII Propaganda Coin
In 1943 the Second World War was far from won. It was a year to D-Day and two to VE Day.
Keen to encourage the war effort, the Canadian Government did something I have not seen anywhere else. They issued a coin as a piece of pure propaganda.
A Flaming Torch and “V” for Victory dominate the design, whilst the Morse code message on the coin’s rim read “We win when we work willingly”.
If you look closely, you will see the Morse code message just inside the bead of the coin on the reverse.
The ‘V’ represents the number five in Roman numerals for the coins face value, but also Winston Churchill’s famous V for Victory sign that had become synonymous with the hope of victory throughout the Allied nations.
Canadian officials felt it was important to have a patriotic symbol to support their war efforts. And as the coin was used by service men and women – as well as those at home – it did a great job at reminding people of the war effort.
This now legendary coin was minted right up until the end of the War in 1945.
The legendary coin with the hidden message
Click here to add an original Victory Nickel to your collection for just £10 >>
Royal Mint announces a treat for Olympic 50p Collectors
With 25 days to go until the Olympic Games in Rio this Summer, the Royal Mint have released a coin that’s sure to excite the hundreds of thousands of people who collected the Sports 50p coins for the London 2012 Olympics.
The new UK Team GB 50p Coin
This UK 50p coin has been released to wish Team GB success in Rio this summer.
The coin’s obverse design features a swimmer with the Team GB logo, the Olympic rings and the inscription ‘TEAM GB’. Designed by Tim Sharp, the coin has been officially endorsed by Team GB and celebrates the spirit of the British Olympians.
The 30th Olympic 50p
In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games, 29 million Olympic 50p coins were released into circulation across 29 different designs – 1 for each Olympic sport.
Remarkably the Royal Mint estimated that 75% of those coins were removed from circulation as collectors clamoured to complete the collection, with many coins like Football and Judo barely ever seen in your change today.
[read more about which Olympic 50p coins are the rarest]
The top 10 rarest Olympic 50p coins
The new Team GB coin will surely become known as the “30th Olympic 50p” and with so many established collectors, it seems certain that its release will be greeted with much excitement.
The 2016 UK Team GB 50p
If you can’t wait to find this coin in your change you can add the Brilliant Uncirculated Team GB 50p to your collection now.