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Loans Policy

Introduction

The Royal Mint Museum has one of the finest collections of coins and related material in the world. It is a collection about how money is made and how the Royal Mint has evolved over the last 1000 years. Not only the finished coins and medals, but also the artwork, plaster models and equipment used in the design and manufacturing process have been retained, making it a collection unrivalled anywhere in the United Kingdom.

The Museum makes loans to further knowledge, understanding and scholarship relating to the objects in its care and to make the collection more widely accessible within the UK and throughout the world.

Making a loan request

Preliminary research should be carried out in well in advance with curatorial staff who will advise on the selection and general availability of objects for loan.

A formal request for loans should be made in writing to the Director of the Royal Mint Museum giving at least six months notice for loans to the UK and nine months for loans abroad. The request should include as much of the following information as possible:

  • Title of the Exhibition
  • Exhibition venue(s) and dates
  • Organiser’s name, address and contact details
  • Scope of the exhibition
  • List of objects requested

When assessing loan requests, we take into account the public benefit of the proposed loan, our ability to manage the loan, and the well-being of the object(s) requested.

Duration of loan

All loans will be for a fixed period of up to five years, although the Museum may allow the loan to be renewed at the end of the initial loan period. During the period of the loan the Museum will ask for annual reports on the condition of the objects and for the insurance or indemnity value to be increased if necessary.

Security

Approval for a loan will not be given until the Museum is satisfied that adequate security against theft or damage will be provided by the Borrower. The standard of security required will vary with the nature of the object(s), the place of exhibition and the degree of public access allowed. The Borrower may be asked to complete a UKRG Facilities Report which will be provided by the Museum.

Insurance or indemnity arrangements

The Museum will accept indemnities offered by The Borrower’s Government or commercial insurance providing ‘Values Agreed’, ‘All-Risks’, ‘Nail-to-Nail’ cover. A copy of the indemnity undertaking or commercial insurance policy should be sent to the Museum for approval at least two weeks prior to transport of the object(s). The certificate or evidence of insurance confirming the cover must be received by the Museum before the objects are shipped.

Costs

Unless specific agreement has been made for an individual loan, the Borrower will bear all direct costs of borrowing including, cost of transport, photography, conservation, insurance and regular inspection of the loaned object(s). The Museum will work with the Borrower to ensure costs are kept to a minimum for all parties.

 

The Museum will not knowingly lend objects to an exhibition which includes objects that are known to have been stolen, illegally exported or illegally imported from their country of origin (as defined in the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, 1970).

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