‘Oh what a tangled web we weave… (…When first we practice to deceive’)

The Royal Mint.

It sounds so swish, professional and legitimate doesn’t it?  Three short words that inspire feelings which are historic, formal and quintessentially British.  Of course, The Royal Mint are well aware of the subliminals attached to their oh-so-lofty moniker – that is precisely why they marketed their ‘quintessentially British’ A-Z 10p’s in the way that they did 🙂

So there we have it.  A high and mighty company who are enormously respected, revered the world over and who are totally impervious to even the slightest imperfection.

Except this is not really the case.

You see there are lots of things about The Royal Mint which are not quite as squeaky clean as they would have us all believe.  Here are just a few that are worth a mention –

• In 2016 they struck lots of Jemima Puddleduck fifty pences. All good so far…..  Until you get to 2017 and 2018 when they were STILL striking lots of Jemima Puddleduck fifty pences – with 2016 on them!    Yup, this is totally true.  They have even (once cornered) admitted this.  Some people may think this a little underhand or even borderline illegal.  Yet The Royal Mint have never been questioned over it.  Incredible.  Perhaps they are above the law?
• It is now 2022 (just in case you were unaware….). A couple of months ago, The Royal Mint announced that the 2020 Shield Section fifty pence would be going into general circulation.  I am not quite sure how this can be as it is already two sodding years old…… but there you go.  Apparently that is perfectly normal and acceptable.  I am sure it isn’t really but who am I to question this?  Oh, I forgot to mention; no-one has seen a single one as yet and we are now in April…..
• As a matter of course, The Royal Mint have released their commemorative coin sales figures every two years. It has been like this for donkey’s and, as a consequence, everyone knew where they were at.  But somewhere along the line this appears to have changed.  It has now been three years since 2019 coins went on sale and there are still no figures to be seen.  Apparently this is all down to Covid.  Although I am not too sure how this would have prevented people from sending numbers and information from one computer to another electronically.  I mean sure, many people were working from home during the pandemic….. using computers.  But there we have it.  Hence we all continue to wait with baited breath.  Such a convenient excuse too.  Even a global pandemic has an upside it would seem!
• When A-Z ten pences first went into circulation, The Royal Mint experience were giving these out in change in their overpriced on-site coffee shop. In fact, it was one of THE biggest ways of drawing in the crowds and talking them into purchasing packaged coins, striking their own special fifty pence AND paying through the nose for a standard cup of Nescaff.  Clever huh?  However, what is even more clever is the way that The Royal Mint had a seemingly plentiful and never-ending supply of these elusive ten pences…. when anyone else in the country was unable to find one for love nor money (excuse the pun).  When asked about this they said they simply ‘got them from the bank’.    One hell of a bank they have clearly…….

Of course, there are many, many more dubious goings on at The Royal Mint.  But if I were to list them all here, there would be precious little space for any other posts and it may well put you off buying from the blighters altogether.  So….. nuff said.

For now.

© 2022. Article is the copyright of someone who chooses to be nameless just in case the RM hitmen pay a visit and vaporise him/her (ulp!).

(some would call that ‘cowardly’ I prefer ‘stealthy’ – kind of like Guy Fawkes but with UK coinage)

BUGGER!!!! My name IS on it after all that. Oh well, hey ho. It happens to be true anyhow :/

UP THE REBELS!!!!!!

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