Newsletter: August 2024
Welcome to the August edition of the Royal Mint Museum newsletter. It has been an important month for us as we make even more of our objects and stories available to people both locally and across the globe.
Collection Online
Behind the scenes, our collections team have spent many years diligently cataloguing and digitising the vast collection.
After much hard work we are now able to start making these records accessible to all on our website.
So far you can browse more than 6,500 records for pre-decimal coins of the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Ireland and in the coming months many more records will be released showcasing the international work of the Royal Mint. Do check back regularly, or keep an eye on our social media channels, for more updates.
Coins and the Sea podcast
It’s finally here! Join our team for a deep dive into all things numismatic and nautical on our new podcast: Coins and the Sea. For the last six months our intrepid crewmates have been out interviewing and recording to bring you six fifty-minute episode discussing everything from ships on coins to piracy.
From the ships on our earliest gold coins, to the globe-spanning trade that built an empire, Britain and the money that built it has always been linked with naval traditions. Now you can explore this fascinating topic with us, just search for ‘Coins and the Sea’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your favourite shows. You can also find the episodes and supporting content on our website. Like, follow, comment and subscribe, we want to hear what you think.
Eisteddfod 2024
The Museum was invited to take part in a series of events being hosted by the Pontypridd Museum and organised by the team from Rhondda Heritage. The events were planned to coincide with the National Eisteddfod which was being held this year in Ynsyangharad Park in Pontypridd.
The events were designed to celebrate the history of the area and were free to attend for the public.
We decided to set up a 1940s shop inside the museum. Visiting children and their families could take part in a workshop where we taught them to count in pre-decimal money. They could then use real pre-decimal coins from the museums handling collection to buy items from our shop and were challenged to add up the correct money and work out how much change they would get.
It was the first time the children had encountered pre-decimal coins, and as many were visiting with grandparents who had some knowledge of the pre-decimal system, it was a great activity for connecting generations and encouraging them to share knowledge and experiences with each other.