Run by the Treasury, the Royal Mint first and foremost produces the U.K.’s coins, which they’ve been doing since the year 886. But these days, with the proliferation of digital banking, fewer and fewer people keep spare change rattling around in their pockets. Coin production is an industry in decline, and so to safeguard its future, the Royal Mint is evolving into other fields.
Today, the home of The Royal Mint, in Llantrisant, near Cardiff in South Wales, is a flurry of activity. Some of its coin-makers are being re-trained to produce fine jewelry for its new luxury brand, 886 by the Royal Mint. And there’s a superstar in charge: creative director Dominic Jones, who has created pieces for Karl Lagerfeld, Rihanna, and Beyoncé, has long been one of the top jewelry designers in the country.
