Mint in Kremnica, Slovakia

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History → http://www.mint.sk/onas_historia.php

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Mint in KREMNICA, SLOVAKIA (c.1890). Workers milling strips by waterpower. Right to left: large wooden spoked wheel, worker rolling strips, another flatening strips with hammer, and another cutting strips.

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Old belt-driven coining machine in the Mint of Kremnica, Slovakia.

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Quote:

"Rich deposits of coin metals in the mining towns, especially of gold and silver in Kremnica, were a decisive factor why, in the privilege of November 17, 1328, the Hungarian king Karol Robert of Anjou promoted the mining settlement of Cremnychbana to a free royal town. The settlers and new guests of which were granted rights according to the example of Czech town Kutná Hora. As the promotion of Kremnica to a town was based on it being the headquarters of the biggest Hungarian minting and mining chamber; the king's privilege is also considered as the founding deed of the mint in Kremnica. From the time of its establishment up until the present day, coins have been struck here for almost cca. 675 years. In this context, the mint in Kremnica represents a unique industrial example of the cultural heritage on European, and on world, scale. Thanks to the importance of the Minting Chamber and mint in Kremnica, meant that for centuries Kremnica was the leader of the association of the seven mining towns in the lower Hungarian Lands having the title 'free royal'. The chamber in Kremnica was managed by the count-komes who was accountable to the king. The complex of mining, metallurgical production of precious metals and minting of coins represented the most substantial source of the king's treasure. It contributed decisively to the origin of the only exporting industrial branch of the Hungarian Empire in the Middle Ages. The first known coin having its origin in Kremnica is a silver groschen of Karol Robert of 1329. Not later than in 1335, gold coins, the famous Kremnica ducats, were struck in Kremnica as well. These were the most widespread product of the mining and refining of the Kremnica gold deposits. By the beginning of the 15th century the annual production had reached the impressive figure of approx. 250 000 pieces per year. Particularly after the start of the reign of the Hapsburgs on the throne of the Hungarian Empire, Kremnica ducats spread all over the Europe. They were popular on the market because of their constancy and high content of gold/23 carats and 9 grains - 967/1000/ and their beautiful appearance. Kremnica ducats were the strongest currency in Central Europe for more than half a millenium. The last ducats were struck as circulation coins in 1881 during the ruling of the emperor Franz Joseph I. The first coins of the upcoming silver thaler currency were struck in Kremnica by 1499 when the 'count-komes' was Janos Thurzo. Until the first half of the 18th century precious metals were almost exclusively used for making coins. The mint had its period of its highest production during the ruling of the empress Mária Theresia, when the mint in Kremnica produced a bigger number of coins than all other mints in the whole Hapsburg Empire together. After the liquidation of the last Transylvanian Mint in Alba Julia/Karlsburg, Gyulafehervar/ in 1873, the mint in Kremnica became the only enterprise of this kind in the Hungarian Empire. The precious metal refinery of the mint- became famous for its outstanding quality of work. It processed alloys from mines all over the Hungarian Empire, and merchandised scrap metal as well as foreign coins of lower fineness than the standard in Kremnica. The medals created in the mint also achieved outstanding quality. The first medal proved to be from Kremnica was struck for the coronation of the King Ludvig II in 1508 ..."
Source → http://www.sulinet.hu/oroksegtar/data/kulturalis_ertekek_a_vilagban/Visegradi_orszagok_technikai_2/pages/angol/005_szlovaki_muszaki_muemlekei.htm

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The National Bank of Slovakia's Coin and Medal Museum in Kremnica has one machine, a counterweighted taschenwerk press from the mid 17th century, as well as some dies used in this type of press.