The Secret Life of Coins

The Royal Mint Museum
  • 4.7 (3)
  • Society & Culture

Coins are a form of payment, but also so much more! From touching mementos with an emotional story, to having been invested with the power to heal or bring good luck, coins have stopped bullets in wars and helped balance the workings of the nation's timekeeper - Big Ben. Join the Royal Mint Museum in learning about the extraordinary stories hidden in the nation's currency, as we explore the secret life of coins!

  1. Sep 18

    Panic! - Coin Hoards and the Battle of Hastings

    How can one of the most important metal detecting finds of recent history help us understand the story being told in the Bayeux Tapestry? The year 1066 was a turbulent one for England. Three different kings sat on the throne and the Battle of Hastings changed the course of English history. As panic spread through the kingdom, we look in this episode at how people hid their coins from invaders, discovered years later as fantastic coin hoards containing thousands of silver pennies.

    Panic! - Coin Hoards and the Battle of Hastings

  2. Apr 23 ·  Bonus

    S2B4 - The Foundling Museum

    In this bonus episode of The Secret Life of Coins, join Abigail and Chris to hear more from Dr Janette Bright, historian of the Foundling Museum. Learn more about how unassuming coins can really tug at the heartstrings.

    S2B4 - The Foundling Museum

  3. Apr 7 ·  Bonus

    S2B3 - Williamson's Arcade

    Who doesn't love a penny arcade at the seaside? Join Chris and David in our latest bonus episode, as they explore Williamson's Old Penny Arcade in Great Yarmouth with its owner, Peter Williamson.

    S2B3 - Williamson's Arcade

  4. Mar 24 ·  Bonus

    S2B2 - Tiny Art

    In this bonus episode to Season 2 of The Secret Life of Coins, join Abigail and David in an extended-cut interview with Gordon Summers, Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint. Go behind the scenes and learn about why coins really are the perfect example of tiny art.

    S2B2 - Tiny Art

  5. Mar 10 ·  Bonus

    S2B1 - Big Ben Bonus

    Join Susie and Abigail back up the Elizabeth Tower, for an extended-cut interview with Dr Andrew Strangeway, a clockmaker at the UK Parliament and keeper of the Great Clock, better known as Big Ben. Hear more about how coins are used to keep the nation's timekeeper running, as we go behind the scenes once again.

    S2B1 - Big Ben Bonus

  6. 12/10/2025

    S2E6 - Coins and Conjuring

    A trip to the seaside has become a staple of our summer. From dodging the showers to sandy ice creams, many of us have nostalgic memories of the beach. No trip to the seaside would be complete without a trip to the amusement arcades, and most of us will remember the joy of making our pocket money disappear into a hungry machine. Whilst it is all too easy to make our coins disappear from our pockets, very few of us can make them reappear on demand. Yet, this enviable trick is a way that talented magicians have been amazing audiences for centuries. In this episode we delve into the fascinating world of games and magic. Join us on our trip to the coast to play on the best collection of old penny arcade machines in the country and as we talk to one of the nation’s top magicians to see why coins are perfect for illusions.

    S2E6 - Coins and Conjuring

  7. 11/26/2025

    S2E5 - Making Your Mark

    Tipping a statue into a river or by chaining themselves to trees are just a few imaginative ways that protesters have come up with to get their messages across. Whilst we might be aware of the official propaganda value of our coins, we often do not associate them with protest. Yet, for those looking to give vent to their frustrations, or to get a message across, they have been an important way to do so. Whether it be Votes for Women, or Bollocks to Brexit, these acts of rebellion have power, especially when the act of defacement is done, not for political reasons, but as a way to recognise the baby that circumstances have forced you to abandon.From the political to the profoundly touching, we speak with Helen Pankhurst and the Foundling Museum to see how the British public has co-opted the coinage for its own ends.

    S2E5 - Making Your Mark

  8. 11/11/2025

    S2E4 - War of Words

    In an era of social media and the internet we are constantly bombarded with messaging. Multinational companies and the over hyped claims of governments are all too easy to hear and read. This is not, however, a new phenomenon and one of the earliest forms of mass communication was our coinage. Circulated throughout the nation, and passed from hand-to-hand, coins were as ubiquitous as the daily notifications on our phones today. Listen as we take you back to the battlefields of the English Civil War and speak to an expert on biblical inscriptions as we show you how the state has used coins to attempt to rally a nation to their cause.

    S2E4 - War of Words
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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Coins are a form of payment, but also so much more! From touching mementos with an emotional story, to having been invested with the power to heal or bring good luck, coins have stopped bullets in wars and helped balance the workings of the nation's timekeeper - Big Ben. Join the Royal Mint Museum in learning about the extraordinary stories hidden in the nation's currency, as we explore the secret life of coins!

Information

  • Creator
    The Royal Mint Museum
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Royal Mint Museum
  • Show Website
    The Secret Life of Coins

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