There are 70 government‑owned mints around the world as well as 40 privately‑owned mints, producing almost 800 different coin denominations.
The world’s oldest continuously running mint is the Monnaie de Paris in France, which was founded in AD 864 and is the world’s eighth-oldest company. The UK’s Royal Mint is the world’s tenth-oldest company, established in AD 886.
Sovereign Mints
Sovereign Mints are also called Government or National Mints. They produce the legal tender in that country.
Sovereign Mints follow a set of stringent standards that guarantee the weight, purity, and face value of the bullion products they manufacture. Because of this guarantee, sovereign-minted bullion products have a worldwide reputation as a source of high-quality precious metal investments.
Many Sovereign Mints are well-known for their flagship bullion coin series, which issue exciting new releases every year.
Each annual release is highly sought after by investors and collectors alike for their beauty, purity and government-backed face value. These coins typically demand higher prices per ounce compared to private mint rounds due to their popularity in the secondary market and government guarantee.
Private Mints
Privately-owned Mints do not produce bullion for legal tender. Private Mints make products with their own branding or designs, purity and metal content. There are no legal requirements to produce a given amount of precious metals.
