Discover the Joy of Collecting
Are you keen to discover the joy of collecting? If so, you have come to the right place. With more than 1,100 years of experience crafting British coins, The Royal Mint is at the very heart of coin collecting.
We have been capturing history through coinage for centuries and celebrating notable places, figures and elements of British culture through our commemorative and historic sets, and bullion releases. Whatever your interest, we can help you commemorate your passions through fascinating coin collections and discover your next greatest find.
How to Start Collecting
If you’re new to collecting, it can be hard to know where to start. The first thing to decide is what you want to collect. Are you drawn to a theme, a denomination, a particular metal – also known as an alloy – or a specific year in history? Once you have chosen your starting point, you can begin to source coins for your collection. It could also be worth investing in some collector albums so you can organise your collection and protect your coins.
You can start your collection by looking through your loose change for coins of interest. You may have inherited coins from a loved one or received a commemorative coin as a gift. These can give you an excellent place to start and help you consider what themes you would like to explore in the future.
Another way to get started is to join The Royal Mint’s Coin Swap community on Facebook. You can swap your coins for any that you need in your collection, and you can ask other coin collectors in the community for their tips on the best places to find coins that are more unusual. Collector Services from The Royal Mint also offer a Coin Finder service to help collectors find the historic coins they need to complete their collection.
Collecting a New Theme
Once you’ve made a start and are well on your way to completing your first collection, you might be wondering where to go next. Expanding a collection with coins that follow a new theme can be daunting to consider, but it’s not as scary as it seems. Once you have decided on your new theme, you can think about what denominations and metal types you would like to collect.
For example, if you want to choose royalty as your new theme, you can collect coins that celebrate a monarch’s milestones. For Queen Elizabeth II, you can look for coins that commemorate our longest-reigning monarch, or coins that feature one of her five coinage portraits across a range of denominations.
Find the topics that ignite your passion and you’ll have a great starting point to explore and celebrate them via a coin collection to cherish for years to come.
Visit The Royal Mint Experience
One of the best ways to get to the heart of collecting is to visit The Royal Mint Experience. You can discover the fascinating history of The Royal Mint and the coins we have made over the last 1,100 years, and learn more about how you can get involved with collecting.
The Royal Mint Experience is one of Wales’ top tourist attractions and was awarded Trip Advisor’s “Travellers’ Choice” award in 2023 for the fourth year running. It offers exhibitions and tours to captivate and delight the whole family. During your visit, you will discover why The Royal Mint is at the heart of collecting and may even find inspiration for starting a collection of your own.
