Corporate News

3rd August 2007

Tower of London Exhibition

Coin collectors may want to make a point of visiting the Tower of London this summer. Starting from 26 July, the Tower plays host to a fascinating new exhibition, 'Hands on History' a celebration of ten centuries of the Tower's history and the Royal Armouries' collection, which will incorporate a key display on the Royal Mint, its history, and the manufacture and symbolism of selected coins.

'Hands on History' encourages visitors to go beyond the usual static museum experience by allowing them to touch and feel items including bows, swords, muskets and helmets. Visitors will also have the chance to handle enlarged coinage portraits of William I, Edward III, Edward VI, Charles I and George II, and also view replicas of the coins, while being guided through a 500 year history of the Royal Mint.

In addition, the Royal Mint's section of the exhibition will demonstrate the role that coin design has played in British military history by explaining the symbolism of several coinage designs through the ages. Visitors will also learn about the skills and methods involved in the manufacture of coins, from the hammer-struck techniques of Norman times to the screw presses of the eighteenth century.

Kevin Clancy, Royal Mint Museum Curator, said: "Over the centuries the Tower of London has enjoyed many different roles ranging from record office to observatory, and from a place of execution to a zoo. Having spent 500 years at the Tower of London, the Royal Mint is very much part of its history. We are delighted to be involved in such an innovative and engaging exhibition which highlights the Royal Mint's strong links with the Tower.

"The longevity of the Tower of London's role as home to the Royal Mint is only surpassed by its relationship with the Royal Armouries. The histories of the Royal Mint, the Royal Armouries and the Tower of London are inextricably linked which helps to explain why these organisations have come together through Hands on History."

'Hands on History' is presented by the Royal Armouries and Historic Royal Palaces, and with the generous support of the History Channel and the Royal Mint, the exhibition will bring to life ten centuries of Tower history within the White Tower at the Tower of London.

- Ends -

1. The Royal Mint has a history dating back over 1000 years. By the late thirteenth century the organisation was based in the Tower of London, and remained there for over 500 years. In 1810 the Royal Mint moved out of the Tower to premises on London's Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Mint began on its current site in Llantrisant, South Wales.

2. There were estimated to be more than 27.5 billion United Kingdom coins in circulation at 31 March 2007, with a total face value of more than £3.5 billion - all manufactured by the Royal Mint.

3. A total of 1.6 billion United Kingdom coins were issued during 2006-07.

4. Of the higher denomination coins, it is the 20p piece that is most in demand - with more than 2.3 billion now in circulation.

5. Commemorative coins issued this year have included:

Historic Royal Palaces

1. Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace. We help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built.

2. We receive no funding from the Government or the Crown, so we depend on the support of our visitors, members, donors, volunteers and sponsors.

3. These palaces are owned by The Queen on behalf of the nation, and we manage them for the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

4. We believe in four principles. Guardianship: giving these palaces a future as long and valuable as their past. Discovery: encouraging people to make links with their own lives and today's world. Showmanship: doing everything with panache. Independence: having our own point of view and finding new ways to do our work.

5. www.hrp.org.uk registered charity number 1068852

The Royal Armouries

1. Britain's oldest national museum, and one of the oldest museums in the world, has four sites - The White Tower in the Tower of London, Leeds, Fort Nelson near Portsmouth and Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

2. The Royal Armouries is committed to its role as guardian of the national collection of arms and armour and to the display and interpretation of its outstanding objects. In addition, it seeks to promote an understanding of the causes and outcomes of conflict, both within the community and at the national and international level. www.royalarmouries.org

For further details please contact the Royal Mint Press Office on 0117 9227799

William I Silver Penny

Coining Press Room in the Tower, c.1809

Edward VI Gold Sovereign

Plan of the Mint in the Tower, c.1701

Charles I Silver Crown