The Royal Mint launch ‘886’, a jewellery division using gold recovered from electronic waste
The Royal Mint has unveiled a new jewellery division – ‘886 by The Royal Mint’ – which combines its’ 1,100 years of British craftsmanship with the latest technology, using high quality gold recovered from electronic waste.
The jewellery and homeware division takes its name from the period The Royal Mint was founded, circa 886, and the inaugural collection features classic hoop earrings, T-bar chains, simple studs and elegant cuffs. Each piece is crafted from solid gold or silver, using ancient techniques more commonly used in coin and medal-making. The precious metals are struck and pulled rather than cast, increasing the density of the metal.
The expansion into luxury jewellery and homeware will help preserve the rare skills of The Royal Mint’s craftspeople, while promoting sustainable design and manufacturing. Around 70% of the collection is currently produced in-house at The Royal Mint.
With 7% of the world’s gold estimated to be contained in electronic waste, The Royal Mint has announced plans to build a plant in South Wales to recover precious metals from mobile phones and laptops. It is using patented new chemistry – created by Canadian clean tech start-up Excir – to recover over 99% of the precious metals contained within circuit boards.
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- A Royal Mint employee with new technology
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- The Royal Mint announce partnership with Canadian tech start up Excir
Construction of the plant is underway, and will be located within The Royal Mint’s highly secure site to provide a stream of precious metals directly into the business. When fully operational in 2023, The Royal Mint expects to process up to 90 tonnes of UK-sourced circuit boards per week – generating hundreds of kilograms of gold per year.
Royal Mint’s Chief Engraver Gordon Summers working on a cufflink, part of the new 886 collection
Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer for The Royal Mint, said: “886 by The Royal Mint combines the best of our craftsmanship and heritage with innovation – ushering in an exciting new chapter for both The Royal Mint and wider industry. We are here to challenge perceptions around precious metals and help to secure the future of British craftsmanship.”
“Working with our partners Excir, we have introduced world first technology to the UK capable of recovering precious metals from electronic waste in minutes. We estimate that 99% of the UK’s circuit boards are currently shipped overseas to be processed at high temperatures. When fully operational our plant will process tonnes of electronic waste each week, providing a new source of high quality gold direct to The Royal Mint.”
The Royal Mint marks 50 years of Pride UK with first LGBTQ+ coin
Asad Shaykh with 50th Anniversary of Pride 50p
The coin has been designed by Dominque Holmes, an east London artist, writer, and LGBTQ+ activist with a varied artistic background that includes tattoo artistry. The coin design features Pride in London’s values of Protest, Visibility, Unity, and Equality in rainbows. With state-of-the-art colour printing technology, the iconic colours of the Pride progression flag are recreated with special-edition colour versions of the silver and BU coins.
Since the first official Pride UK event in 1972, the Pride UK movement has been one of significant political and cultural importance. Now in its 50th year, Pride UK is more popular than ever and continues to fight against societal oppression and stand up for rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
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- 50 Years of Pride 2022 UK 50p Silver Proof Coloured Coin Obverse – UK22PSPC
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- 50 Years of Pride 2022 UK 50p Silver Proof Coloured Coin Reverse – UK22PSPC
Asad Shaykh, Director of Marketing and Communications at Pride in London said, “It was a privilege to visit The Royal Mint as part of our partnership and see our coin being made.
“It humbles me greatly that the words that I coined for the brand, PROTEST, VISIBILITY, UNITY & EQUALITY – will be on an actual coin, opposite the Queen. This queer brown immigrant has come a long way, powered by hope, love and this city. Nowhere in the world had this been possible, except the UK. Pride in London feels very proud today.”
Clare Maclennan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said, “The 50th Anniversary of Pride UK is a milestone celebration, and it is a privilege to mark 50 years of progress with this 50p coin. This is the first ever UK coin dedicated to Britain’s LGBTQ+ community, with colour printing technology capturing the spirit of Pride UK with its iconic rainbow colours.
“It was an honour to host representatives from Pride in London at The Royal Mint recently to strike their own coins as part of the launch and discuss with them our commitment to diversity and inclusion within the business and show how we are reinventing for the future.”
As part of the launch, The Royal Mint will make a financial contribution to London LGBT Community Pride C.I.C. The 50p will not enter circulation but will be available to purchase via The Royal Mint website this summer. The range includes gold, silver, and brilliant uncirculated versions.
The launch of the new LGBTQ+ coin forms part of The Royal Mint’s wider commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Alongside D&I training for all employees, a network of D&I Champions has been established to support The Royal Mint’s wider vision of celebrating differences for an inclusive future.
This commitment also extends to an LGBTQ+ society for employees at The Royal Mint; established last year. Named ‘Enfys’, the Welsh word for Rainbow, the group has hosted Q+A sessions, shared their personal stories and encouraged visibility and allyship amongst employees.
To find out more information about the 50th Anniversary of Pride 50p and to register for updates please visit The Royal Mint website.
ANA Library Receives Important Donation From Dwight N. Manley
Walter Breen’s Documents Can Help Future Researchers
Prominent collector and benefactor Dwight N. Manley of Brea, California has donated to the American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) more than 60 books, auction catalogs, and photographs he recently acquired at auction from the Sydney F. Martin (1945-2021) Numismatic Library Collection. All the items were previously owned or annotated by noted numismatic researcher and author Walter Breen (1928-1993) and many have his handwritten notes.
Among the highlights of the donation are two annotated drafts of Breen’s massive 1987 masterpiece, Walter Breen’s Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, with thousands of handwritten notes made as he typically did in different color inks. The combined drafts total over 3,000 pages and were described by auction house Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers as “an exceptionally important part of the Breen archives.”
Another annotated book is Breen’s personal copy of the 1981 reference guide he co-authored with former ANA President Anthony Swiatek, The Encyclopedia of United States Silver & Gold Commemorative Coins, 1982-1954.
There are 29 auction catalogs each with Breen’s handwritten notes. The sales dates range from a Stack’s auction in 1951 to the Rarcoa offering of the Kaufman Collection in 1978.
The donation also includes several letters Breen wrote and 19 photographic plates depicting colonial-era state and other pre-federal coins with his handwritten notes on rarity. Among the plates are black and white prints depicting obverses and reverses of 1785 Connecticut coppers. These photos were produced by Al Hoch in the late 1960s and are the coins extensively cited in Breen’s famous 1975 Early American Coppers organization sale catalog of Connecticut coppers.
“Walter Breen had a troubled personal life, but he was one of the top numismatic researchers of his era. These important documents can help current and future researchers provide useful information for our hobby,” said Manley.
In 2003, the ANA Library at ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado was named in honor of Manley when he gratefully donated $250,000 to the Association. That donation was a “thank you” for the $400 scholarship he received as a teenager in 1980 to attend an ANA Summer Seminar session.
In 2007, Manley donated an original edition of the world’s first illustrated numismatic book, Illustrium Imagines, published in 1517.
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- Walter Breen annotated draft page
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- 1785 Connecticut copper varieties
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, including the Money Museum, located at 818 N. Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colo. For more information, call (719) 632-2646 or visit www.money.org.
Kenyan-born British artist Michael Armitage to design new £1 coin
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has named Kenyan-born British artist Michael Armitage as the designer of a new £1 coin which will enter circulation in 2023, marking the 40th anniversary of the modern £1 coin.
The new £1 coin design will be minted at The Royal Mint, who will also release a special collector’s edition to coincide with the launch in early 2023. The new design will celebrate the culture, creativity, heritage and history of the UK in the 21st century.
It is the first change to the £1 since 2017, when a new 12 sided coin replaced the former ‘round pound’ and introduced a range of anti-counterfeit features. The new £1 design will retain these safety measures and feature the fifth effigy of Her Majesty the Queen on the obverse.
The son of a Yorkshireman and Kikuyu mother, Michael Armitage was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1984 and now lives works between London and Nairobi. He trained at the Slade School of Fine Art, London and the Royal Academy Schools. In January 2022, the Royal Academy of Arts, London, elected him a Royal Academician in the category of painting.
Speaking at the official opening of the RCA’s Rausing Research and Innovation Centre, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “I am delighted that Michael will lend his vision to the creation of this new £1 coin design in its 40th anniversary year. This coin will symbolise the rich tapestry of modern Britain and honour our deep heritage and history.”
Coin artist Michael Armitage said: “It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate with The Royal Mint on the design of the new £1 coin. It is an honour to be part of the lineage of coin-making in the United Kingdom and I am grateful to the Chancellor and the selection panel for the opportunity to contribute to this history in considering what it is to be part of Great Britain today.”
Chief Executive of the Royal Mint, Anne Jessopp said: “The £1 coin is a symbol of Britain that is recognised around the world. As such we are delighted to work with Michael Armitage to create a new design that celebrates the people of Britain and our diverse culture. It is the first new £1 design since 2017 and will combine our 1,100 years of craftsmanship, with cutting edge design to champion modern Britain.”
Michael Armitage was chosen by an independent panel with expertise in coin design and art. The panel was established to advise the Chancellor on the artistic merits and ideas behind proposals put forward by selected candidates.
Further information on the history and previous designs of the £1 can be found here: £1 Coin | The Royal Mint.
Wayde Milas Named PNG President
(Temecula, California) May 10, 2022 – Second generation numismatist Wayde Milas, President of Rare Coin Company of America (RARCOA) in Willowbrook, Illinois, has been selected as the new President of the Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org) for the 2022-2024 term.
Milas’ father, Ed Milas, served as PNG President from 1983 to 1985.
“Our respected, long-time PNG Executive Director, Robert Bruggeman, will be retiring next year, so my primary first goal as PNG President is to reach out to our members about the best candidates to succeed him,” said Milas who joined PNG in 2005.
“My other goals and projects as PNG President will be looking at ways to revamp and revitalize the experience of in-person shows for dealers and collectors as well as the future of PNG Days and the dealer-to-dealer PNG Trading Rooms. Another goal is to increase the number of younger dealers in the PNG ranks and how we can increase the cost/benefit ratio for them as well as all PNG members,” Milas continued.
All officers of the PNG Board of Directors also serve pro bono as officers of the non-profit Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (www.ACEFonline.org) and oversee the ACEF’s Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force. The volunteer task force works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to combat counterfeit coins, banknotes and precious metals products.
“We need to find permanent funding for ACEF and ACTF. The anti-counterfeiting work and PNG’s Code of Ethics binding arbitration to mediate any disputes involving our dealer-members are the two most important activities for PNG. ACEF’s partnership with law enforcement across the country has helped remove millions of dollars in counterfeits from the marketplace and resulted in shutting down dozens of fraudulent websites selling fakes,” explained Milas.
“The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) corporation and separate from PNG. All donations to ACEF are tax deductible.
Also selected as PNG officers for the 2022-2024 term are Vice President Don Rinkor of Rinkor Rare Coins in Santa Rosa, California; Secretary Dustin Johnston of Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas; and Treasurer John Brush of David Lawrence Rare Coins in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Other members of the PNG Board are William Gale of Asset Marketing Service in Eagan, Minnesota; Jeff Garrett of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries in Lexington, Kentucky; James Sego of JMS Coins in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Vincent Wade of Pinehurst Coins in Pinehurst, North Carolina; and Immediate Past President Richard Weaver of Delaware Valley Rare Coin in Broomall, Pennsylvania.
“Under PNG Bylaws, member-dealers of the organization elect the board members at large, and then the elected board members select the officers from within their group. During their April 26, 2022 meeting, the nine-member board chose the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary,” explained PNG Executive Director Brueggeman.
Founded in 1955, the Professional Numismatists Guild is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the country’s top rare coin and paper money experts who undergo a background check, must adhere to a strict code of ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic items and who guarantee the authenticity of the numismatic merchandise they sell. The PNG mission statement is: Ensuring integrity, instilling confidence, and promoting professionalism for the benefit of all numismatic collectors and professionals.
A directory of PNG member-dealers is online at https://png.memberclicks.net/find-a-png-dealer and a directory of PNG-Accredited Precious Metals Dealers can be found at https://apmddealers.org/apmd-dealers.
For additional information, visit online at www.PNGdealers.org or call the PNG headquarters in Temecula, California at 951-587-8300.
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