Newsletter: May 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of the Royal Mint Museum Newsletter. The Royal Mint Museum team embarked on exciting new projects in May. Read on to find out more.
Short Story Competition Reading Day
The 5th year of our annual children's short story competition, with the theme "Sustainable Futures", concluded this month. Over the past few months, we offered children from across the UK the opportunity to submit stories inspired by the Royal Mint's commitment to sustainability.
This year's guest judge was none other than Michaela Strachan, the well-known broadcaster and presenter of BBC's Springwatch. With nearly 700 entries, the task of reading and selecting a shortlist was both delightful and challenging due to the exceptional quality of the stories. But with the help of colleagues from various departments around the Mint and fuelled by countless biscuits and cups of tea, we managed to narrow down the entries to a shortlist of 18 outstanding stories. These were then passed on to Michaela for the final round of judging.
We are excited to announce that the winners will be revealed by the end of May. Congratulations to all the young writers who participated in this year's competition. Your creativity and passion for sustainability have truly shone through!
The Secret Life of Coins Podcast Visits Northampton
Over the May Bank holiday, members of our Secret Life of Coins podcast team embarked on an exciting journey to Northampton. Their mission: to uncover fascinating stories and interviews for our listeners.
The trip began with a visit to Lamport Hall, where they witnessed a spectacular re-enactment of the Battle of Naseby, the decisive clash of the English Civil War. This event was brought to life by The Sealed Knot, the UK's oldest re-enactment society and the largest in Europe. Whilst there they were able to explore the living history encampment and interview some fascinating guests including numismatist and re-enactor Jeremy Burrows, soldiers from both the Parliamentarian and Royalist sides and even Charles I himself.
The team’s second visit was to the state-of-the-art Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC) at Chester House Estate. Home to over 20,000 boxes from more than 3,000 sites, the ARC boasts a rich collection of archaeological finds, including pottery, animal bones, and coins. They spoke with Eleanore Cox, the Finds Liaison Officer, about the Harpole treasure, a significant early-medieval female burial discovered in 2022. This remarkable find includes a stunning necklace adorned with gold Roman coins, semi-precious stones, and decorated glass pendants.
Northampton provided a wealth of material for the podcast, which will offer listeners a unique glimpse into the past through the lens of the currency we often take for granted.
VE Day at the Royal Mint Experience
This month marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, the date on which the Allied forces accepted of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender.
To honour this significant milestone, the Royal Mint Experience hosted a special event filled with 1940s music, gallery tours and the opportunity for visitors to strike their own VE Day 50p coin, presented in exclusive, dated packaging.
To support this event, our Information and Research Manager, Chris Barker, delivered an engaging talk on the Royal Mint's operations during World War II, highlighting the institution's crucial contributions to the war effort.
The Royal Mint Experience staff said “We were especially pleased to welcome Chris to speak as part of our celebrations. The content of his talk highlighted the historical significance of the day and reminded us all of the impact of war on the Royal Mint.
In attendance at the talk were the Valley Veterans, who later lead a two-minute silence for members of the public and staff of The Royal Mint. Bugler Paul Hedditch performed The Last Post and Reveille to open and close the silence, setting a moving moment of reflection. The event in whole was well-received, and we are delighted that we could engage so many people in commemorating this poignant occasion.”
Helen Palmer
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new multi-year project aimed at enhancing the Museum's digital presence. This exciting initiative is a collaborative effort with Helen Palmer, Director at Palmer Squared, who brings her expertise in strategic marketing, communications, and audience development for arts, culture, heritage, and tourism attractions.
This month, we had the pleasure of introducing Helen to our small but dedicated team. We shared our vision for the future and provided her with an in-depth look at the fascinating history of coins and coin production at the Royal Mint. Helen's insights and experience will be invaluable as we work together to engage with a broader online community, showcase the rich heritage of the Royal Mint and connect with more people than ever before, sharing the stories and treasures of our collection in innovative and exciting ways.