The Royal Mint has come one step closer in its plans for opening a visitor centre alongside its factory in Wales, after receiving final planning approval last week.
Construction of the visitor centre at The Royal Mint’s home, in Llantrisant, will get underway next month, with completion slated for spring 2016.
The 1,000-year-old Royal Mint is Britain’s oldest manufacturing organisation and produces 90 million coins each week, for 60 countries.
The visitor experience will use both static and interactive experiences to allow people to get behind the scenes, find out about the manufacturing journey and poignant stories about the medal making process.
The Royal Mint’s head of commemorative coin and medals, Shane Bissett, said: “The new visitor centre will showcase over 1,000 years of coin-making history and showcase the heritage, craftmanship and innovation for which The Royal Mint is known all over the world for.”
The £7.7m visitor centre has received a £2.3m grant from The Welsh Government. The funding will safeguard the 147 jobs in the commemorative coin division and also create new jobs in the development and staffing of the visitor centre.
Around 200,000 visitors a year are expected to visit. Tourism minister Edwina Hart says it will be an iconic attraction: “The new visitor centre will be an all year round and all weather visitor attraction, showcasing a unique product and global brand.”
