With a history stretching over 1,100 years, The Royal Mint has forged a fascinating story through the world of historic coins. As the second oldest mint in the world, and the oldest company in the UK, their history is entwined with the 61 monarchs who have ruled England and Britain.
The Royal Mint has struck coins for every monarch, creating an unrivalled collection of coins, each one with its own history to unravel. Many of these historic coins have increased in value over time, making them an ideal collector’s item too.
In this video Dan Snow gets a rare glimpse of the hidden treasures kept behind the doors at The Royal Mint Museum. He discovers the fascinating story behind the Edward VIII Sovereign, a 22-carat gold coin that was created when Edward ascended the throne. However the coins were never released to the public as Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. With only six ever made, these are the rarest British coins in existence. But why does Edward face the wrong way on his coin?
Up Next in Everyday Life
-
Life on the Wall
In this episode, Tristan Hughes visits two key sites along Hadrian’s Wall that can tell us more about everyday life on this far flung frontier, with a particular focus on hygiene and worship. First on the list is Chesters Roman Fort. Described as one of the most complete cavalry forts that surviv...
-
Decoding the Roman Dead
Colchester Museums have been working with archaeologists and specialists to ‘decode’ the hidden stories of 40 of Colchester’s earliest inhabitants.
Through new scientific research techniques, they have reconstructed the identity and lives of these people: where they came from in the empire, wha...
-
Rise and Fall of Roman Richborough
Richborough was one of the longest Roman-occupied sites in Britain, with history stretching from the Claudian invasion of Britain in 43 AD to the Roman departure almost 4 centuries later. During its long history Richborough transformed on several occasions. From military base to prosperous port t...
3 Comments