Fascinating footage gives a glimpse inside the Royal Mint headquarters (where the new £1 coins are being made)
Video footage includes a look at the Welsh site's highly guarded gold bullion bars
INCREDIBLE footage has revealed what goes on behind the scenes at the Royal Mint headquarters, where the new £1 coins are being made.
The 35-acre site is hidden away in the hilly South Wales Valleys and is heavily guarded using strict security measures.
Rare footage obtained inside the fenced-building shows the coin pressing room, which has machines stamping out numerous shiny new coins every second.
In total, the Llantrisant site produces a whopping 60million coins each year, used by the UK and 59 other countries.
Coins are still warm as they shoot out of the machines around the clock, and are gathered ready to be inspected by quality control.
Coins produced include the new 12-sided £1 coins, which are set to enter circulation on March 28 and feature a hologram as a new security measure.
After being opened in its present site in 1968 by the Queen, the Royal Mint is now the world’s leading export mint.
THE NEW £1 COIN IN FACTS
- The new £1 coin, which resembles the old threepenny bit, has been hailed as “the most secure coin in the world”.
- It boasts several new security features, including a hologram.
- The new coin is made of two metals, with a gold-coloured outer ring and a silver-coloured inner ring.
- It has an image that changes from a “£” symbol to the number “1” when the coin is seen from different angles.
- It also has very small lettering on both sides of the coin and milled edges.
- It is thinner and lighter than the round pound, but its diameter is slightly larger.
Remarkably anyone can take a sneak peek around the Royal Mint Experience, which opened next door to the factory in May 2016.
But guests have to be prepared for the airport-like security procedures before gaining access.
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All purses and pockets have to be emptied of any coins upon arrival, and mobile phones are banned.
One of the highlights of the tour is seeing The Royal Mint bullion.
The site refuses to disclose the worth of the bullion that is stored in the vaults but the amount is likely to be in the tens of millions.
The footage includes a look at one of the golden bars, which is guarded by two security men at all times.
We previously detailed everything you need to know about the new £1 coins.
We also shared how the Royal Mint has unveiled eight new coins – including one worth £50,000 – to mark Queen’s historic Sapphire Jubilee.