Collection: Royal Mint Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  An overview of current collections

  The collection contains approximately 100,000 coins – some three-quarters of which reflect the Royal Mint’s extensive overseas work, particularly for Commonwealth countries, including an abundance of proofs, patterns and trial pieces. So far as coins are concerned, the Museum’s primary interest is in the milled, or machine-struck, pieces of the last 350 years but the collection contains coins dating back to the Medieval and Anglo-Saxon periods and also coins from the Ancient World.

  The Library contains around 11500 volumes as well as a wealth of archival material and photographs.

  In addition, the collection includes something in the order of 12,000 medals and seals along with thousands of drawings, plaster models and electrotypes, and an outstanding collection of trial plates dating back to the 15th century. Above all it incorporates roughly 34,000 master tools and dies from the 17th century onwards, a collection whose importance is unrivalled in the United Kingdom.
  An estimate of the overall size of the collection arranged by type of material is set out below.

  Coins – 100,000
  Medals – 12,000
  Seal counterparts and impressions – 2,110
  Trial plates – 200
  Banknotes and postage stamps – 300
  Scientific, precision engineering and photographic equipment – 148
  Master tools and dies – 34,000
  Plaster models and Electrotypes – 18,510
  Drawings – 30,000
  Boxes of weights – 69
  Individual weights – 513
  Balances – 24
  Minting equipment and machinery – 700
  Books – 11,500
  Journals and periodicals – 6,500
  Sales catalogues – 3,150
  Box-files of archival material – 416
  Photographs and negatives – 8,618
  Glass negatives – 4,916
  Videos and cassettes – 250
  Rolled documents – 174
  Paintings and engravings – 100
  Sculptures – 10

  The acquisition of objects direct from the Royal Mint factory allows the Museum to acquire a full and accurate account of the work of the Royal Mint and includes a large number of trial coins and medals which do not exist anywhere else. This acquisition direct from the factory allows the Museum to remain true to its original 200 year-old purpose of maintaining a record of Royal Mint production.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  History of the collections

  The Royal Mint Museum (RMM) has one of the finest numismatic collections in the world. It was established in 1816 by the Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, to provide a permanent record of the work of the Royal Mint. The Museum also has a substantial numismatic library. The coin collection and library was considerably enhanced in 1818 by a generous donation by Sir Joseph Banks on behalf of his sister Sarah Sophia and included a number of rare and important coins and a collection of 16th and 17th century books and pamphlets on British and European coins and medals.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC