Newsletter: March 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of the Royal Mint Museum Newsletter. The Royal Mint Museum team embarked on exciting new projects in March. Read on to find out more.

Education Box Launch

After four years of our successful Reminiscence Box project we wanted to diversify to reach new audiences. As a result, we’ve just launched an Education Box for Scout groups across Britain. The Coins and the Sea Education Box follows a narrative account of a Tudor sailor called Jimmy who works on a fictional ship The Great Royal. The collection explores money and payment on board ships through objects such as replica coins, cowrie shells, hardtack and more.

The first box has just returned from the 1st Kilgetty Scout group and 2nd Pembroke Scout Group in Pembroke Dock. It was not only used by the Scouts but also the Cubs. We were thrilled to receive great feedback from its first outing. The group leader Alex said ‘The box was extremely well received by both age groups’ and ‘The 8-10 year olds really enjoyed being able to see the item that the story talked about’.

If you would like to loan our Education Box for a Scout group, please contact borrowabox@royalmintmuseum.org.uk.

Engineering Education Scheme Wales

March saw the end of this year’s 6th Form engineering project run by the Engineering Education Scheme Wales. We have been taking part in this project for four years now. The project involves us setting a real-world engineering challenge for a group of 6th Form students and working closely with them over six months while they work towards a solution to the problem. This year we worked with students from Y Pant Comprehensive.

The students showcased their work at the CREST Awards, a nationally recognised scheme run by the British Science Association, held at Swansea University. The team were nominated for two awards and won for best application of engineering and technology.

Andrew Burnett

This month marked the final meeting of our Board of Trustees with Chairman, Dr Andrew Burnett at the helm. Andrew is a highly respected numismatist and museum professional who was Deputy Director of the British Museum from 2002 to 2013, and President of the Royal Numismatic Society from 2013 to 2018.

Andrew has been Chairman of our Board of Trustees for the last nine years, during which time he has steered the Museum very skilfully, seeing the importance of the relationship with the Royal Mint, encouraging the team’s initiatives and helping us to grow into the successful charitable organisation we are today. We have found his judgement and guidance extremely valuable, and we wish him all the best for the future.

Mario Pisani

Another of our Trustees has been sharing the story of the Royal Mint this month. Mario Pisani recently presented his paper ‘Money: a Treasury-centric view’ at the Centre for Financial History at Darwin College, University of Cambridge. Based on his involvement with our collection, The Strand Group at King's College London, and HM Treasury he discussed the historical links between the economy, money and the institutions of the state.

Mario said ‘For a career economist like me it’s a particular privilege to be able to give a lecture with a vaguely original perspective on such a fundamental topic at the birthplace of modern economics’.

Secret Life of Coins Podcast

We have been hard at work getting started on interviews for the Museum’s next podcast series. Secret Life of Coins explores everything to do with non-monetary uses of coins, and we recently visited London to speak with experts on how coins have been used in magic and why the inscriptions on coins issued during the English Civil War played an important propaganda role.

Dr Will Houstoun is a magician who has worked on a variety of high-profile TV shows and films, and has an impressive back catalogue of performances. Added to his many talents as a magician, he has an interest in the history of magic and we explored why centuries of magicians have been drawn to using coins in their tricks and illusions. He also talked about the amazing pioneering work that he does with the charity Breathe Arts Health Research, where he uses coin magic as a method to help young people with hemiplegia.

Our second interview of the day was with biblical expert, Daniel Rignall. Fresh off completing his PhD on the Old Testament in Enlightenment Britain, Daniel shared his knowledge about the important meaning behind biblical inscriptions on coins issued during the English Civil War and the important propaganda role that they played in this period.