The Pobjoy Mint will close at the end of 2023, officials have confirmed.

The private mint in Kingswood, Surrey, England, about 20 miles from the center of London, has been in operation since 1965 and has struck coins for 42 countries or territories.

Just under 40 employees are affected.

The mint has struck circulation and commemorative coins and many medals during its time in the market, which began in 1965 with medals marking the death of Winston Churchill.

It struck its first circulating coins for the Isle of Man in 1970, and its first crown coin in 1974, interestingly issued to honor the birth centennial of Sir Winston Churchill, the man whose medal kick-started the mint nine years earlier. 

Over the years, the Pobjoy Mint has claimed several developments, including the use of a new coin alloy, virenium, and many world’s first mintages, like the first titanium coin, for Gibraltar in 1999.

Its Isle of Man Cat coin series and Christmas 50-penny coins are notable, as was the development of the Isle of Man noble bullion coin.

In recent years, it has seemingly focused on 50-penny and £2 coins, two areas of popular interest in the United Kingdom, its home country, and it added the Pegasus bullion series after losing the commission for Isle of Man coins in 2017.

Taya Pobjoy, managing director of the mint since 1998, is the longest-serving female head of a mint, and one of the longest-serving mint directors anywhere.

“My colleagues always laughed that I didn’t learn mama and papa as my first words, but learned obverse and reverse as my first words, so I’ve grown up in this business,” she said.

The uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the subsequent process of dealing with King Charles III for new coins, spurred her decision to retire and shutter the mint, she told the Coin World Podcast, after working 33 years at the firm.

“I knew I wanted to retire by 60, and I just felt now, you know, feels like the right time,” she said. “It’s not the age you get to, it’s when you feel that things have certainly changed in the industry, and they’re just not the same anymore.”

Looking ahead

Taya Pobjoy said that the mint will continue to sell coins as normal, both retail and wholesale, up until the end of November.

“It’s been very much on my mind when making this decision to make sure I give good service to the very end to my customers,” she said.

No 2024-dated coins are being issued.

“Most of the coins we have launched this year are available on the website and we anticipate that they will all be sold by the time we close, as my prime objective is to make sure that our customers, who have been loyal to us over the years, are able to complete their collections,” she said.

The very last Pobjoy coin will be a special issue, with details to follow.

The Pobjoy Mint has “around 20 presses, some of which are proof and some of which are high speed,” and these will be offered on the market. Pobjoy suggests interested parties should contact the mint in the United Kingdom directly.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank customers and dealers who have supported Pobjoy Mint over the last 50 years and made us a household name in the coin industry,” she said.

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