PEARTREE LIFE: Experiencing Languages

The Royal Mint, a place where the money is made

Peartree Languages has organised an amazing autumn trip this year! On Sunday 30th of November you can explore the Vale of Glamorgan, eat lunch in the prestigious Atlantic College and then visit the place where our money comes from - the Royal Mint! In case you've never heard of the Royal Mint, we have a short blog post for you.

The Royal Mint is a national treasure, making beautifully crafted coins and medals for countries all over the world.



It originated over 1,100 years ago, producing coins for England and eventually the United Kingdom. Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK. The 1100 or so years of its existence track the history of Britain through its wars and political upheavals, its social and economic progress, its technological and scientific advances. Its history is, in short, woven into that of Britain itself. 

Unlike institutions of more recent origin, it cannot be said that the Royal Mint was founded on a
specific day in a particular year. What is known is that 1100 years ago, from the second half of the ninth century, there were reasonably robust conventions in place governing the making of coins. A glance at the uniform design of coins produced from this time is evidence of a controlling force and a deliberate policy.
As royal control over the government grew during the next few hundred years, so greater structure was given to the body of men who were responsible for making the nation’s coinage. By the mid-13th century a clear organisational framework existed for the monarch’s mint in London consisting of a hierarchy of officers. From at least the 1270s there was also a known location within the Tower of London and the organisation became increasingly well established and formalised.

The basic minting process of melting and casting metal, cutting blanks from that metal and the striking of those blanks between a pair of engraved dies is essentially timeless. But, needless to say, the manner in which the various stages of this process have been carried out has changed beyond recognition over the centuries.
Over the course of its long history, many thousands of people have worked for the Royal Mint. The Royal Mint Museum is interested in every single one of them, from the most famous, like Isaac Newton, to the seasonal workers, from engineers to artists, from scientists to security guards. The detail of their lives builds a picture of the organisation as a whole.

As well as minting coins for the UK, The Royal Mint also mints and exports coins to many other military medals, commemorative medals, and other such items for governments, schools and businesses, being known as the world's leading exporting mint.
countries

On arrival, you will be greeted by one of the Visitor Hosts who will take you through security checks and get you kitted out in high-visibility vests. Your experience starts in the Pre-Show area, where you will gain an introduction to The Royal Mint before making the short walk over to the factory experience.

Led by your Visitor Host you will enter one of the manufacturing areas, to discover how blank pieces of metal are made before being struck to become coins. From a viewing area, you will look into the striking hall where thousands of coins are produced, 24 hours a day. You will then be given the option to strike your own coin to take home as a memento or have a picture surrounded by chests of coins (additional charges apply).

Following the Factory Experience, you will be escorted to the self-guided Interactive Exhibition to six different zones at your own pace. Visitor hosts will be on hand; ready to answer any questions and to help you get the most out of your visit.
- The Royal Mint and the Community
- The Royal Mint and the World
- Making Money
- The Other Side of The Royal Mint
- The Meaning of Coins
- Coins and Collecting
Also, a wide range of Royal Mint coins and merchandise is on sale in the gift shop and the 60-seat café is open from 9:30am to 5pm and serves a selection of hot and cold refreshments throughout the day for you to enjoy either before or after your tour.



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About Peartree Languages

Peartree Languages is a language school located in Cardiff.

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