A bronze British penny and a gold burgerspond from the Republic of South Africa seem to have little in common. One was everyday small change, the other became a sought-after rarity. Yet a 1912 penny with the mint mark H and the 1874 burgerspond both lead to the same private mint: Heaton in Birmingham. [1] [2]
The coins feature different countries, rulers, and currencies. The same manufacturer could have been behind them.
In our series on historic mints and coinage technology, we also explore what remains after a mint closes. In the case of the Pobjoy Mint, this includes the coins themselves. For Birmingham, the search leads to three locations: the old factory front on Icknield Street, the city archives, and Brierley Hill, where a company of the same name is now registered. [9] [10] [11]
Short answer: What was the Birmingham Mint?
The Birmingham Mint , also known as the Heaton Mint , was a private mint in Birmingham. It produced, among other things, British and Australian coins. It was not a branch of the state-run Royal Mint. On the 1912 pennies, the small “H” indicates Heaton as the manufacturer. The country name on the coin, however, refers to the issuing country. [1] [4] [6]
A mint sells its machines – Heaton begins minting coins.
The Heaton family had been involved in metalworking since 1794. Ralph Heaton II acquired his own workshop in 1817. These early dates are part of the family business’s history. Heaton only began minting coins later. [3]
The decisive impetus came from the demise of another Birmingham company: Heaton bought machinery from the dissolved Soho Mint in 1850. Its technical equipment thus found a new purpose. [3] [4]
What remained of Soho helped Heaton build a new branch of the business. The machines changed hands and continued operating in another Birmingham factory.
In 1851, a penny token was minted for Annand Smith in Sydney, which Museums Victoria lists as the company’s first coinage. In 1889, the family business became a limited company and was renamed “The Mint Birmingham Limited”. [3]
The factory on Icknield Street
In 1862, Ralph Heaton & Sons moved into their new factory on Icknield Street. Behind the impressive brick facade were workshops, a foundry and rolling mills, as well as an engine house and boiler house. The original complex was arranged around two courtyards. [5]
These buildings help to visualize the manufacturing process. A coin is not created simply by striking a press. First, the metal must be processed and prepared for minting.
The city archive’s file catalog records a transaction for 1853 entitled “500 Tons of Copper Coin for Royal Mint.” According to the description, the file contains copies of contracts and correspondence relating to copper coin orders from the Royal Mint, as well as contractual terms with the Calcutta Mint for copper blanks for the years 1856 to 1861. Whether the stated 500 tons were actually produced and delivered in full cannot be determined from the catalog entry. However, the title alone places the operation on an industrial scale. [12]
The business extended beyond finished coins. In 1887, Heaton was commissioned to build and equip the mint in Canton, present-day Guangzhou. The company thus also provided the necessary infrastructure for minting coins elsewhere. [3]
Mechanical engineering, blank production, and coin minting were three distinct services. This allowed the Birmingham Mint to participate in the establishment of other mints without actually minting their coins itself.
A small H reveals where the penny was minted.
The British penny of 1912 has an H on the Britannia side to the left of the year. Museum Victoria keeps such a specimen. [1]
The museum also owns an Australian penny from 1912 from the same mint. It bears the letter H below the lower decorative scroll on the obverse. The letters BM on the portrait, however, refer to the artist Bertram Mackennal. They are not a second mint mark. [6]
A look at these two pieces clearly illustrates the difference between issuing country, manufacturer, and designer. Great Britain and Australia issued different coins. Heaton minted both. The H on these issues is a mint mark , while the artist’s initials answer a different question.
The Burgerspond connects Birmingham with South African gold.
The Burgerspond of 1874 takes the story to South Africa. The gold coin of the South African Republic depicts President Thomas François Burgers and was minted by Heaton. The auction catalog cites Leonard Wyon as the designer. [2]
This means that a well-known rarity of South African numismatics has a British place of origin. The Burgerspond simultaneously tells a story of South African monetary history and British industrial history.
The history of the Oom Paul mint leads to Pretoria. The older Burgerspond leads to Birmingham.
Small change and a rare gold coin, both from the same manufacturer. This workshop history can be traced using a Heaton penny as an example, without needing a Burger King nearby.
The end of 2003
The story did not end with the classic collector coins of the 19th and early 20th centuries. As recently as 2002, the Birmingham Mint described itself in a submission to the British Parliament as a private company with 180 employees. Its business included coins, blanks, tokens, and medals. [7]
However, an important business relationship had by then broken down. According to Birmingham Mint, the Royal Mint had unilaterally excluded it in July 2001 from a consortium agreement for markets outside the EU that had been in place for 40 years. Birmingham claimed that because of the Royal Mint’s actions towards its customers, it had lost access to these business relationships. The company accused its state-owned competitor of unfair competition and asserted contractual claims. [7]
When the relevant parliamentary committee questioned Royal Mint CEO Gerald Sheehan in November 2003, the Birmingham Mint was already under administration. The claim arising from the dispute was listed in the Royal Mint’s balance sheet as a contingent liability of £5.4 million. The Royal Mint had not set aside any funds for this purpose. Sheehan stated that the company would contest the claim if it was pursued. [8]
When asked about the consequences of the closure, Sheehan pointed to international competition. Within 12 to 18 months, three or four competitors had disappeared from the market. Because the industry still had overcapacity, the Royal Mint had not noticed any significant impact. It had not taken over any existing Birmingham contracts. [8]
This is the real irony of the story. In 1850, Heaton had profited from the closure of the Soho Mint and purchased its machinery. 153 years later, the historic Birmingham operation ceased to exist in a market that apparently absorbed the loss of several manufacturers without major disruption. For Birmingham, it marked the end of an industrial tradition. In the global coinage industry, it primarily represented the reduction of further capacity. [3] [8]
What survived from the Birmingham Mint
The factory front on Icknield Street
The historic site has not completely disappeared. The frontage facing Icknield Street and the courtyard buildings mentioned in the monument inscription are listed as Grade II. The designation dates from 8 July 1982. [10]
The front part of the building housed offices, accounting, and storage rooms. The building survey report documents these functions as well as significant interior alterations. Traces of the former mint can still be found at the factory facade. Plans and documents describe the work processes of that time. [5]
Company records in the city archive
The Birmingham City Archives hold collection MS 1623, which contains documents relating to the Birmingham Mint. These include company and financial records, as well as material on orders and the company’s history. The catalogue also lists a file relating to South Africa and 1874. [11]
The H remained on the coins. The archive contains business and financial documents that allow for the investigation of clients, deliveries, and the organization of production. [11]
A company name with a new registry history
The name also remains. Companies House lists “The Birmingham Mint Limited” as an active company under number 04836565. It was registered on 17 July 2003. The register lists its registered office as Swinford House in Brierley Hill, not Icknield Street. The registered business purpose is “Precious metals production” (SIC 24410). [9]
The historical operation ceased in 2003. In the same year, the registration history of the current company of the same name began. The entry documents the company name, its registered office, and its stated business purpose, but not any continued operation at the old location. [3] [9]
What collectors can take away from this
When collecting Heaton coins, it’s worthwhile to note three details separately: the issuing country, the mint, and the specific coin type, including the year and variant. This transforms a collection organized by country into a history of the mints involved.
With Burgerspond, the specific variant is also a factor. Literature and auction catalogs distinguish between, among others, “Fine Beard” and “Coarse Beard.” The designation Birmingham Mint alone therefore does not fully describe which piece is being presented. [2]
Similarly, the “H” mark alone does not determine rarity or value. For that, the specific year of manufacture, the design, the condition, and authenticity must be examined. The history of the mint helps with classification, but it does not replace the examination of the individual piece.
Conclusion: What remains after the operation
In New York’s struggle to establish its own US mint, coin minting remained a political goal. In Birmingham, it was a business for generations, ending in 2003.
Of a factory that produced coins and blanks for clients all over the world for over a century and a half, all that remains is a protected facade, 3.3 cubic meters of partially sealed files, and a company name at a new address. [9] [10] [11] On some coins, this entire history has been reduced to a single letter: H. [1] [6]
Frequently asked questions about Birmingham Mint and Heaton
Are Birmingham Mint and Heaton Mint the same mint?
In historical numismatics, both names refer to the mint in Birmingham that emerged from the Heaton company. The company name “The Mint Birmingham Limited” was introduced in 1889. The company registered since 2003 is chronologically distinct from this. [3] [9]
Was the Heaton Mint a site of the Royal Mint?
No. Heaton was an independent Birmingham company that worked for the Royal Mint, among others. [3] [4]
What does H mean on a British penny from 1912?
The letter H on this penny denotes Heaton as the manufacturer. It appears on the Britannia side to the left of the year. [1]
Did the Birmingham Mint also mint gold coins?
Yes. A well-known example is the Burgerspond of 1874 for the South African Republic. The South African issuing state and the British place of manufacture are not mutually exclusive. [2]
Has the Birmingham Mint completely disappeared?
No. The historic factory closed in 2003, but parts of the buildings, company records, and coins have been preserved. Furthermore, a company of the same name was registered in 2003. Its registration status alone does not prove current coin production. [3] [9] [10] [11]
About the author
Dirk Wasserthal is co-founder and managing director of Wasserthal RareCoin.Store. He specializes in modern numismatic gold coins, rare years, certified collector coins, and the history of their mints and markets.
Transparency note
Wasserthal RareCoin.Store deals in rare modern gold coins. This article provides historical and numismatic context for the Birmingham Mint and its mintings. The examples given do not constitute a prediction of the future value of individual coins.
Sources and further documents
[1] Museums Victoria: Penny, George V, Great Britain, 1912 – NU 1574 . Object record of the British bronze penny, its manufacture at Heaton and the position of the H.
[2] Heritage Auctions: Burgers Pond 1874, Coarse Beard, Auction 3121, Lot 31026. Object-specific auction catalog dated January 13, 2025, concerning the gold coinage at Heaton and the beard variations; Leonard Wyon is named therein as the designer. Price and inventory information from the auction house are not adopted as general benchmarks of value. The print runs on the website are contradictory and are therefore disregarded.
[3] Museums Victoria, Deborah Tout-Smith: Heaton & Sons Mint, Birmingham, England . Company history: family business, Soho machines, first token, Canton order, name change and closure.
[4] Bank of England Museum, Ellie Paton: The Birmingham Special, 10 September 2021 . Section ‘Ralph Heaton Mint’, Museum reference C558: Heaton or Birmingham Mint, H coin mark and connection to the Soho equipment.
[5] Historic England, S. Ely: The Birmingham Mint and Metalworks, Icknield Street, Birmingham – Historic Buildings Report, 136/2000 . The published summary on completion in 1862, room functions and surviving building components was evaluated. It describes the state of research in the report, not a current complete building survey.
[6] Museums Victoria: 1 Penny, Australia, 1912 – NU 4830 . Object description with Heaton as mint, position of the H and resolution of the artist’s initials BM
[7] House of Commons: Memorandum submitted by the Birmingham Mint, 22 October 2002. The company’s self-presentation and its allegations regarding the termination of the 40-year consortium agreement with the Royal Mint. A statement by one party to the dispute, not a judicial finding.
[8] House of Commons, Treasury Sub-Committee: Hearing of 5 November 2003. Questions 17–31 concerning the claim for £5.4 million, closure and competition.
[9] Companies House: The Birmingham Mint Limited, Company No. 04836565. Registered on 17 July 2003, status ‘Active’, registered office at Brierley Hill and business purpose SIC 24410, audited on 4 September 2026. The registration does not establish any continuing minting at Icknield Street.
[10] Historic England: Front Range of the Birmingham Mint Facing Icknield Street, and Buildings Around the Courtyard . Listed building number 1076314, Grade II, first listed on 8 July 1982. The protected status is not proof of a fully preserved mint.
[11] Birmingham City Council, Archives & Collections: Records of The Birmingham Mint Ltd, MS 1623. The collection comprises 3.3 cubic meters and is partially closed. The page leads to the file catalogue via “Browse record in hierarchy”. “South Africa 1874” is listed there as MS 1623/1/10/1/31 with a period of 1931–1984; the individual file has not been examined.
[12] Birmingham City Council, Archives & Collections: British Coins & Blanks 1851–61; 1853 – 500 Tons Copper Coin for Royal Mint, MS 1623/1/10/1/6 . The catalogue describes an open file containing copies of contracts and correspondence relating to copper coin orders from 1853 and 1860, as well as contract terms with the Calcutta Mint for copper blanks for 1856 to 1861. The unusual duration is explained by the inclusion of a copy of an Act of Parliament against counterfeiting of coins, dated 11 August 1803. The tonnage mentioned in the title has not been verified against the file.
Editorial status: September 4, 2026.
