Library and Archive
The Royal Mint Museum contains a valuable numismatic library of some 15,000 volumes. This includes archival material acquired in large part from departments of the old Royal Mint at Tower Hill, such as the Engraving Department, the Die Office and the Pyx Office. For the most part this material dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and in its day-by-day character is a useful adjunct to the official files in The National Archives and to the published Annual Reports of the Royal Mint.
Browse highlights of the library and archive below.
The Royal Mint at Tower Hill
In the early 1800s a new location for the Royal Mint was found on Little Tower Hill.
Founding the Royal Mint Museum
The Royal Mint Museum was established by the Master of the Mint William Wellesley Pole on 12 February 1816.
The New Coinage cartoon
The recoinage of the early 1800s attracted the attention of contemporary cartoonists.
William Wellesley Pole engraving
This engraving was published in 1815, the year after Pole was appointed as Master of the Royal Mint.
Waterloo Medal Roll
The names of all those who were awarded the campaign medal for taking part in the Battle of Waterloo were recorded in the Waterloo Medal Roll.
ARP booklet
During the Second World War an Air Raid Precautions (ARP) unit was established at the Royal Mint.
Pop-up cardboard cut-outs
If you had entered a bank towards the end of the 1960s you may well have encountered signs like these.
Decimal posters
In advance of Decimal Day the Decimal Currency Board launched one of the most intensive publicity campaigns ever directed at the people of Britain.
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Writings on the Wall
In 1912 electrotypes were made of the graffiti in the walls of the Tower of London.
The Royal Mint Swimming Club
The Royal Mint Swimming Club, had its first committee meeting 120 years ago on 4 August 1897.
Women in the Mint
How did women begin working in coin production and how has their role in the Mint changed over time?
William Chandler Roberts-Austen
Sir William Chandler Roberts-Austen was a distinguished metallurgist of international reputation.