The Royal Mint

Technological progress and growing demand for coins meant that the buildings of the Tower of London eventually became too cramped for modern minting machinery. At the start of the 19th century, a new headquarters was therefore prepared on Tower Hill. The modern complex opened in 1810, and over the following years The Royal Mint's operations were moved there. The new factory allowed for a significant increase in production scale and the mechanization of the coin-striking process.

The next major change came in the 20th century. Britain's preparations for introducing a decimal system required producing billions of new coins, so the existing facility once again proved insufficient. In 1967 a decision was made to build a modern mint in Llantrisant in South Wales, about 16 kilometers from Cardiff. The first stage of the facility was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on December 17, 1968. Production was gradually moved from London, and the Tower Hill premises were finally vacated in 1980.

Interesting fact – security features of Britannia coins

The authenticity of precious metal products is of particular importance to both investors and collectors. For this reason, the world's largest mints are developing technologies that make coins harder to counterfeit and easier to verify as genuine.

This effect was achieved through the use of four innovative security features:

• a latent image – working like a hologram, changing from a padlock to a trident depending on the angle at which the coin is viewed,
• surface animation – laser-produced micro-details create the illusion of waves behind the figure of Britannia, which come to life as the coin is turned,
• microtext – the inscription "DECUS ET TUTAMEN" surrounding the figure of Britannia is also produced using an advanced laser,
• tincture technique – colors and patterns on the metal are indicated using symbols – lines.

The combination of these solutions means that the modern Britannia is not only one of the most recognizable British bullion coins, but also one of the most advanced of The Royal Mint's investment products in terms of security.

Scale of production at The Royal Mint

For decades, The Royal Mint was among the largest producers of circulation coins in the world. The scale of operations at the Llantrisant facility was particularly evident during Britain's preparations for decimalization. As early as 1969, new production lines allowed for the manufacture of more than 50 million coins per week, and the currency reform ultimately required the production of almost six billion new coins in total.

In the following decades, The Royal Mint produced coins not only for the United Kingdom but also for numerous foreign central banks and issuing authorities. For example, in the 2021/2022 financial year the mint produced around 339 million British circulation coins and around 1.55 billion coins and blanks for 22 countries.

At the same time, precious metals, bullion coins, investment bars, collector coins and the recovery of metals from electronic waste play an increasingly important role in the company's operations. The Royal Mint's offering includes products made of gold, silver and platinum, aimed at both investors and collectors.