Item number: A1359

Year: AD 1889

Material: Brass

Size: 23.3 x 23.3 mm

Manufactured by: Birmingham Mint

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This token, minted around AD 1889 at the Birmingham Mint in England, is crafted from brass. It bears inscriptions commemorating the founders of the mint and their descendants.

The obverse of the token prominently features the phrase “FORMERLY RALPH HEATON & SONS,” honouring the founder Ralph Heaton and his successors. Surrounding this is the inscription “COINERS TO THE ENGLISH & FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS,” signifying their service as coin producers for both British and foreign authorities. Ralph Heaton (AD 1755–AD 1832), an engineer and entrepreneur of his time, initially operated a brass foundry in Birmingham. Over years of industrious management, Heaton gained significant recognition, and many family members joined the business. Following his death, his descendants took over the enterprise, which was renamed Heaton and Sons in AD 1853. This name remained in use until AD 1889 when the company became a limited liability corporation, adopting the name The Mint Birmingham Limited.

On the reverse, the central imagery symbolises the workers of the mint, with a smith depicted on the left and an artist on the right. The surrounding text identifies the company as The Mint Birmingham Limited, reflecting its incorporation status.

The Birmingham Mint is one of the most historically significant private mints, established by Ralph Heaton in AD 1817. By the time of its closure in AD 2003, it had been operational for over 200 years. Throughout this period, the mint produced coins for over 100 governments, including Persia and Germany. In the 19th century, it also notably assisted the Guangdong provincial government of China in establishing the Guangdong Mint, one of the most advanced mints of its era. Originally located at Icknield Street in the Hockley area of Birmingham, the mint site later transitioned into a museum. The operational facilities were moved to Tyburn Road on the outskirts of Birmingham, and in AD 2003, the mint was acquired by JFT Law Ltd.

物件編號: A1359

年代: 公元 1889 年

材質: 黃銅

尺寸: 23.3 x 23.3 mm

製造地: 伯明罕鑄造廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這枚代幣大約鑄造於公元1889年英國伯明罕鑄造廠的代幣，材料為黃銅，這枚代幣 標示著鑄造廠的創立者及其後代。

硬幣的正面的中間印著「FORMERLY RALPH HEATON & SONS」，意思為創立者羅夫·希敦及後代，外圍印著「COINERS TO THE ENGLISH & FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS」，意思為造幣者致敬英國及對外政權，羅夫 ·希敦（Ralph Heaton AD 1755-AD 1832）是當時的工程師及企業家，原本是在伯明罕經營黃銅鑄造廠，經過數年的經營羅夫 ·希敦累積了不少的名聲，家庭成員也紛紛投入事業。在羅夫·希敦死後，其後代繼承其事業，公司最終在公元1853年改名為「Heaton and Sons」，並保留此名稱直到公元1889年，公元1889年成長為股份有限公司，公司名稱也從「Heaton and Sons」改為「The Mint Birmingham Limited」，意思是「伯明罕鑄幣股份有限公司」。

硬幣的背面中央的圖像，象徵著在鑄造廠工作的員工（左為鐵匠smith，右為藝術家Artist），外圍文字則是帶表「伯明罕鑄幣股份有限公司」的英文「The Mint Birmingham Limited」。

伯明罕鑄幣廠是歷史最悠久的私人鑄幣廠，由當時的工程師及企業家羅夫 ·希敦（Ralph Heaton AD 1755-AD 1832）創立，自公元1974年到公元2003年，已有超過200年的歷史。在這期間，伯明罕鑄幣廠已為超過100多個國家的政府鑄造硬幣，例如：波斯、德國，在後來的公元19世紀更是受到當時廣東省政府的委託，幫助中國在廣東省建立了當時先進的廣東省鑄幣廠。伯明罕鑄幣廠原先的場址座落於Icknield Street , Hockley 地區，現在已轉型成博物館，並遷移到位於伯明罕外圍的Tyburn Road，並且在公元2003年被JFT Law Ltd公司收購。