About Us

This section contains information on the Royal Mint's history and other Royal Mint related issues.

The Royal Mint is a department of government and its primary responsibility remains the provision of the United Kingdom coinage.  Its reputation, however, extends beyond this and internationally it has a reputation for making some fascinating coins for over 100 countries.

The history of the Royal Mint itself stretches 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.

In April 1975 the Mint was established as a Government Trading Fund, operationally very similar to a government-owned company. For many years over half its sales were shipped overseas and, in recognition, the Queen's Award for Export Achievement was awarded on four separate occasions. In April 1990 the Royal Mint became an Executive Agency providing it with greater management freedom to develop its business further. Indeed the British Royal Mint has maintained its position as the world's leading exporting Mint.