Rare & Collectible British Coins
The Trial of the Pyx coin sale is live!
this site contains affiliate links
This site contains affiliate links for which we may be compensated, at no additional cost to you.
Check Here on the 17th
Each year a selection of coins are sent to a 700 year old judicial trial called The Trial of the Pyx which tests the accuracy of the coins.
The Trial of the Pyx dates back to the 12th century, making it one of the oldest judicial procedures in the country and has taken place at Goldsmiths’ Hall since 1871.
The name Pyx refers to chests in which the coins are transported, and derives from the Latin word ‘pyxis’, meaning small box. For centuries they were stored in the Pyx Chamber in Westminster Abbey, along with other important items of state and church.
The 10-kilo Queen’s Beasts gold proof coin which is the largest coin ever created by The Royal Mint was sent to the Trial of the Pyx this year.
The Royal Mint’s coins were submitted for testing on 1st of February at Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City of London.
Built upon a 1,100-year history and reputation for quality and accuracy.
Since the thirteenth century, that reputation has been regularly put to the test by one of the nation’s longest-established judicial ceremonies, the Trial of the Pyx.
The Ceremony brings together some of the United Kingdom’s oldest organisations and offices with the purpose of ensuring the quality and accuracy of the nation’s coinage.
An annual event held at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, the Trial of the Pyx mixes the drama and grandeur of ancient traditions with the precision of modern technology to ensure that the UK coins produced adhere to their legal specifications.
The Mint announced that they have passed the 2022 trial. The procedure is mostly ceremonial now, since it’s highly unlikely any of the coins will fall short of specifications given modern production technologies and security around purity.
The word ‘pyx’ comes from the Latin word ‘pyxis’ or small box.
In this case, it refers to the chests used to transport the coins. Throughout the year, in a procedure that has barely changed since the reign of Henry III, coins are randomly selected from every batch of each denomination struck, sealed in bags of 50 and locked away in the Pyx boxes for testing at the Trial.
Find out more about The Trial Of The Pyx at:
https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company/today/trial-pyx/
https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/about-us/trial-of-the-pyx/
