Crafts & Industries

The Civil War Mint at Exeter

In January 1644, following the capture of Exeter by Royalist forces, King Charles I commissioned Sir Richard Vyvyan to set up a new mint in the city. Vyvyan had minted coins for the king at Truro in 1642-3 and evidently transferred some equipment from there including coin dies. The location of the mint in Exeter is not firmly known but there are suggestions that it was in St Olave’s parish, probably in Mint Lane. A full range of denominations from one penny to the gold unite (one pound) was issued; many of these are very rare.