When King Edward I needed new coinage in 1279, some of this work was contracted out to regional mints including Bristol. Peter de la Mare, the Constable of Bristol Castle, was put in charge of a team that produced over £40,000 worth of silver pennies, halfpennies and farthings in two years, at least half a million coins per month. Every coin was made by hand, by striking a piece of silver between two dies.
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