Royal Mint (1956)

Tower Hill, London. M/S furnace at Royal Mint . Pot full of coins is emptied into pot for melting. Shots of molten metal being taken out of pot and carried by mechanical arm. M/S man feeding bars of melted alloy through press. They go through several times to get an almost exact thickness. M/S coins being stamped by machine with operator watching. Top shot different coins dropping into tray. Next the coins are slightly softened in furnace for the die-stamping to come. C/U copper coins in furnace and then shots of red hot coins dropping into water. The coins are then cleaned by acid in "pickling drums". Man opens the drum and coins fall into large tray. Man stands next to stamping machine and then checks coin through magnifying glass. C/U half a crown in man's hand which he is examining. Shots of half crowns stamped and going into bowl. Bowl of coins is emptied into sack. M/S checkers who watch coins on double moving belt. C/U shots of "silver" money dropping into tray. More detail is given in the narration of the whole process of minting coins. FILM ID:43.01 FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/