German Company Acquires Commonwealth Mint

The largest private mint in the United Kingdom, that being the Commonwealth Mint, has been recently acquired by the limited partnership Heimerle + Meule Group headquartered in Birmingham and owned by a company in Germany.

Collectors in the United States are likely unfamiliar with either business. According to the Commonwealth Mint website, “At the Commonwealth Mint we specialize in the production of commemorative coins and stamps for collectors, together with the production of currency coins for circulation. We offer both competitive prices and short lead times and pride ourselves on our efficiency and the quality of our work.”

The web site continues, “Our production team have up to 50 years’ individual personal experience in the business and our younger management and sales personnel have brought with them additional skills needed for use with today’s modern technology.”

According to Commonwealth Mint Director James Hughes on LinkedIn, “As a United Kingdom based company, our staff and management have built up an excellent reputation over the years and we can boast amongst our ranks some of the finest specialists in the industry. Our production team have up to 50 years’ individual personal experience in the business and our younger management and sales personnel have brought with them additional skills needed for use with today’s modern technology.”

Commonwealth Mint products have included non-circulating legal tender precious metal and precious metal plated composition coins minted in the name of countries including Alderney, Fiji, New Zealand, and Tristan da Cunha. The mint has also produced fantasy issues including those of the Republic of Bengalla; exotic ‘commemorative coins’ for Somalia in cone, cube, pyramid, and cylinder shapes, the cylinder-shaped issue being composed of wood; as well as medals and other exonumia. Bullion and proof coins are offered, as are gold bullion ingots.

The Heimerle + Meule Group is part of the Precious Metals Processing division of the Possehl Group. The Possehl Group has 10 business divisions each run independently of each other. These 10 divisions are comprised of more than 200 decentralized companies organized so that they can make “the necessary decisions…made directly in their markets,” according to the Possehl Group website. “We combine such sector diversity with a high level of innovative strength, thus ensuring the long-term success and high stability of the group.”

The Commonwealth Mint operates from a modern minting facility based in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter. The mint services customers across Europe, North America, Australasia, and Asia. According to company information, James Hughes and Jonathan Deane will continue as joint managing directors and shareholders of the business. The senior management team will also remain in place.

While any plans for expansion of the Commonwealth Mint have not been made public, Deane said, “We are truly excited about the scope that the investment and partnership with Heimerle + Meule will afford us; from the growth opportunities in the precious metal coin sector to the research and development to further improve our products and service, which will help us to maintain our position as market leaders.”