Royal Mint Experience Review

[lightjaw]

Well, as i went to the Royal Mint Experience yesterday in Wales, i thought i would give you my thoughts on it.

1) Main building--there is a lot of free parking for the site just round the corner. You park up, then walk over a small bridge to the building itself. The staff onsite were enthusiastic and really seemed interested. One of the staff there told me about the new design for the Sovereign next year. Should be coming out Nov time. Not sure what its celebrating, but he said its the 200th anniversary of something.

2) The tour. The tour guides were great, though obviously still learning everything. We were taken to where you can see the type of machines used to make the coins, then into a glass gallery part where you can see people working. What was interesting to me to learn was that they actually melt the metals onsite, which makes sense. After the glass viewing gallery, you can then mint your own pound coin. Its a design that isnt going to be released to the public apparently, but for £3.50 each, or two for a fiver, why not.

After the small tour (would have liked to see more of the actual manufacture tbh) then you head into the museum, which was pretty interesting. Then, exit through the gift shop!

All in all, its worth it if you dont have too far to travel. I drove from the midlands, and it was about 2.5 hours. I drive a lot so its fine for me. Yeah, not bad Royal Mint. We might not agree with some of the things you do, but with the experience you did ok

Any questions, feel free to ask

 

 

[sovereignsteve]

2 hours ago, lightjaw said:

One of the staff there told me about the new design for the Sovereign next year. Should be coming out Nov time. Not sure what its celebrating, but he said its the 200th anniversary of something.

 

Ah yes, the 200th anniversary of the modern gold sovereign. Hadn't struck me before (excuse the pun),should have known. Save the pennies, hope spot goes down some and back up the truck

[HelpingHands]

I believe that the one pound design will be in circulation as 'The Last Round Pound'.

[Paul]

2017 less 200 years gets us to 1817

The immediate origins of both the image and legend of St George the Dragon Slayer lie in Near Eastern survivals of Graeco-Roman culture where the hero/victor image of a mounted lancer was widely used on coins and reliefs and was also employed as an imperial sign of power.

The attachment to the cult of the Christian martyr, the third-century military commander George of Cappadocia, was a direct result of the First Crusade: the vision of St George joining in the Battle of Antioch in 1098, recorded by William of Malmesbury in Gesta Regum, established a vigorous cult of St George among the crusading knights, with the shrine of the saint at Lydda – situated in the area held in Greek mythology as the location where hero Perseus rescued Princess Andromeda from an evil sea serpent – becoming a place of special veneration for them.

By the thirteenth century St George the Dragon Slayer had gained the red cross of a crusader as part of his iconography and, representing the victory of good over evil, became one of medieval Europe’s greatest legends. In England, he became the national patron saint, and the chivalric cult of St George culminated in the Order of the Garter founded, in 1348, by Edward III with its official sanctuary in the Chapel of St George at Windsor Castle, and with its insignia containing the badge or jewel of St George slaying the dragon.

• St George and the Gold Sovereign

St George slaying the dragon was the chosen subject for the new gold sovereign that made its debut in the late summer of 1817. Destined to become one of the world’s best-loved coin designs, it was created by the Italian gem engraver Benedetto Pistrucci who had come to London in 1815 and whose subsequent association with the Royal Mint brought about something of a golden era in numismatic art.

St Geaorge and the dragon sovereign sketch founded on a style inspired by classical Greece, Pistrucci’s approach to the design represented a refreshing departure from previous gold coins whose style had been traditionally heraldic. It seems he may have found inspiration in the magnificent Elgin Marbles, the beautiful marble carvings that Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, brought to England in the early 1800s.

The ornamental frieze originally decorated the Parthenon in Athens and displayed some 400 human figures and 200 animals that seemed to be taking part in a lively procession. The horsemen provide a wonderful impression of movement, their face and body expressions conveying a sense of skill and confidence, as they easily keep their horses under firm control.

Pistrucci’s St George is strongly reminiscent of these marble relief sculptures, his horse adopting an aggressive attitude towards the wounded dragon yet effortlessly kept in check by his master. His design of a naked Greek horseman mounted on a Parthenon-style horse is, indeed, one of great classic beauty and many would still agree with Humphrey Sutherland who, in his book Art in Coinage (1955) declared it one of the noblest innovations in English coin design from 1800 to the present day. To the delight of collectors, artists and historians, it continues on the gold sovereign to this very day.

[HawkHybrid]

4 hours ago, sovereignsteve said:

Ah yes, the 200th anniversary of the modern gold sovereign. Hadn't struck me before (excuse the pun),should have known. Save the pennies, hope spot goes down some and back up the truck

 

http://www.royalmint.com/shop/The_Sovereign_1989

 

if this issue price is correct, then maybe not the best

investment. it was not until 2003 being priced at

£150-£190(chards figures) that presented the best

buying opportunity. also maybe it'll be different this

time around?

 

HH

[lightjaw]

I will buy them because i like different designs on Sovs. the price/resale value doesnt come into it

[HelpingHands]

6 hours ago, HawkHybrid said:

 

http://www.royalmint.com/shop/The_Sovereign_1989

 

if this issue price is correct, then maybe not the best

investment. it was not until 2003 being priced at

£150-£190(chards figures) that presented the best

buying opportunity. also maybe it'll be different this

time around?

 

HH

I suspect that was not the issue price but some found stock sold more recently.

[sovereignsteve]

8 minutes ago, HelpingHands said:

I suspect that was not the issue price but some found stock sold more recently.

Yes I'm sure that is the case too. The RM cashing in on the high secondary market value of this coin. The Chards price will have been roughly the same premium as issued.

Don't forget too that it was only issued in proof version, the 2017 will almost certainly be mainly bullion with a proof version. The trouble is it'll be the same awful colour and finish as in recent years. if it's a nice design, it'll fetch a premium in coming years. How much depends on mintage and design.

3 hours ago, lightjaw said:

I will buy them because i like different designs on Sovs.

Yes me too but I don't see any harm in holding bullion in coins that will fetch a premium on re-sale

[Paul]

On 29/05/2016 at 09:56, lightjaw said:

Well, as i went to the Royal Mint Experience yesterday in Wales, i thought i would give you my thoughts on it.

1) Main building--there is a lot of free parking for the site just round the corner. You park up, then walk over a small bridge to the building itself. The staff onsite were enthusiastic and really seemed interested. One of the staff there told me about the new design for the Sovereign next year. Should be coming out Nov time. Not sure what its celebrating, but he said its the 200th anniversary of something.

2) The tour. The tour guides were great, though obviously still learning everything. We were taken to where you can see the type of machines used to make the coins, then into a glass gallery part where you can see people working. What was interesting to me to learn was that they actually melt the metals onsite, which makes sense. After the glass viewing gallery, you can then mint your own pound coin. Its a design that isnt going to be released to the public apparently, but for £3.50 each, or two for a fiver, why not.

After the small tour (would have liked to see more of the actual manufacture tbh) then you head into the museum, which was pretty interesting. Then, exit through the gift shop!

All in all, its worth it if you dont have too far to travel. I drove from the midlands, and it was about 2.5 hours. I drive a lot so its fine for me. Yeah, not bad Royal Mint. We might not agree with some of the things you do, but with the experience you did ok

Any questions, feel free to ask

 

 

On the same rough subject of visiting the Royal Mint, the last time i was in London, I spent a few hours in the Bank of England museum.

http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/Pages/museum/visiting/default.aspx

Enjoyable and content rich.

Great you are able to see, touch, the lift a London Good Delivery 400+ oz bar.  As probably the only chance in my life i will.  Shame it is encased in solid housing

 

[onlyroadtoheaven]

I visited the RM experience last week. It is well worth doing if you are in the area (wales). The tour guide was brilliant and it was interesting to see the coin machines at work. It now costs £5 to strike your own £1 coin - as I happily spend £1000s on coins with goats etc on them I felt £5 to strike my own coin easier to justify in my head.

Unfortunately you don't get to see where they package the mail orders (big issues with lighting in that room ) or the room they paint the milk spots on, but a cracking visit for us coin geeks nonetheless.

Do I get bonus points for using the search function of this forum to go back a year instead of starting a new topic?

[sovereignsteve]

48 minutes ago, onlyroadtoheaven said:

Do I get bonus points for using the search function of this forum to go back a year instead of starting a new topic?

Certainly, go to the head of the class

[Kman]

On 7/19/2017 at 21:57, onlyroadtoheaven said:

 It now costs £5 to strike your own £1 coin 

Do it off center and sell it on Ebay for 200 quid  

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-1-Pound-Coin-MINT-ERROR-Miss-Print-Off-Centre-Mule-Coin-Rare-/162588858419?hash=item25db0d1833:g:mrIAAOSwvc1ZZoPh

[AuricGoldfinger]

Is there much PMs to be seen on this tour or is it more circulated coins? Thanks 

[Stuntman]

You get to see quite a lot of historical coins, including quite a few sovereigns they have and Edward VIII one which is a bit special, a Queen Anne 5 Guineas, a Gold 1935 'rocking horse' crown and some hammered gold nobles.  If you like British coins in general, it's a treat!

[AuricGoldfinger]

Any bars atall? The Perth Mint has awsome tour by the looks of it on YouTube wish we had something similar here! Been to the BOA which was cool

[Stuntman]

None that I remember - I went in Feb 2017.  They do have some London 2012 olympic medals though - one of each!

[Stuntman]

Here's a link to a thread I posted on a coin forum website - includes lots of photos so you get the idea of what is (or was) in the exhibition:

http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/11392-royal-mint-experience-visitor-centre/?tab=comments#comment-152506

[AuricGoldfinger]

Excellent thanks stuntman!

[AuricGoldfinger]

Great link and also really good pictures! I’m deffo going to go next time in Wales!

[terakris]

I'd recommend the VIP tour. Totally worth the money I thought to see the behind  the scenes stuff like the museum and watch them producing the proof coins etc.

[AuricGoldfinger]

@terakris I thought that was invite only?

[terakris]

7 minutes ago, AuricGoldfinger said:

@terakris I thought that was invite only?

Nah you can just book online now. You got for the whole day, get drinks lunch etc. Access to all the non tour bits (wave from the other side of the glass screen where the normal tour looks out on). Get to see stuff that isn't out yet (which was really cool).

 

[AuricGoldfinger]

Amazing! Thats great exactly what I want to do! Sounds good to me! How much lol?

[AuricGoldfinger]

Found how much eventually (I really dont think the mints website is great lol) anyway... £95pp for Gold vip tour and not available till mid September at earliest. Might book it for next year 😬

[terakris]

5 hours ago, AuricGoldfinger said:

Found how much eventually (I really dont think the mints website is great lol) anyway... £95pp for Gold vip tour and not available till mid September at earliest. Might book it for next year 😬

Yeah think they only do 1 a week of the gold. That's what I did, well worth it.