The Royal Mint releases its first coin commemorating itself

The Royal Mint has released its first coin commemorating itself, in its history spanning 1,100 years.

The £5 commemorative coin was created in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity responsible for the care of the Tower of London and other heritage sites.

It is the third in a collection of four commemorative Tower of London coins.

The Royal Mint is nowadays based in Llantrisant, South Wales – but its history is intertwined with the Tower of London.

In 1279, the Mint found a home in the Tower of London when Edward I decreed that minting should take place there.

The Royal Mint coin design pays tribute to these origins, and features a replica Edward I penny – one of the first coins struck at the Tower – set against a Norman arched window from the White Tower.

The reverse design features a Tower mint mark, which can also be found on the other coins within the Tower of London collection.

The series was designed by heraldic artist Timothy Noad, who also designed a previous four-part series on the Tower of London, released by the Royal Mint last year.

During its 500-year tenure at the Tower of London, the Mint grew from a small workshop to factory buildings within the Tower’s Mint Street.

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: “This is the first time that we’ve celebrated the story of UK coins on a coin, and it pays homage to centuries of designers, innovators and makers at the Royal Mint.

“Following on from our coins commemorating the White Tower and the Royal Menagerie, it feels fitting that the third coin in our Tower of London series honours the 500-year residency of the Royal Mint.

“During that time pioneers such as Sir Isaac Newton helped revolutionise the way we use gold and money, with techniques and innovations that are still used today.

“As the original maker of UK coins, we can trace our unique history back centuries, and although we call South Wales home today the Tower of London will always hold special significance as the place our story began.”

Emma Saunders, head of brand licensing and business development at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “It couldn’t be more fitting for the Royal Mint to continue their successful Tower of London licensed collection with Historic Royal Palaces by celebrating the institution’s own past as a part of Tower life.

“It has been a pleasure for our curators and experts to collaborate on this project to commemorate a joint history of such national significance.”

Prices for the coin range from £13 for a brilliant uncirculated version to £2,640 for a gold coin.