Royal Mint (Spain) facts for kids
Headquarters at Calle del Doctor Esquerdo Nº 36, Madrid
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| Statutory corporation | |
| Industry | mint |
| Predecessor | Casa de la Moneda Fábrica del Sello |
| Founded | August 1893 |
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Area served
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Spain |
| Owner | Government of Spain |
| Parent | Ministry of Economy |
The Royal Mint of Spain (its full name in Spanish is Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre – Real Casa de la Moneda, which means "National Coinage and Stamp Factory – Royal Mint") is the official place where Spain makes its money. It's a public company that works closely with the Ministry of Economy in Spain.
Contents
History of Spanish Money Making
For a long time, Spain had many different places, both public and private, that made coins. This changed in the 18th century. Philip V, who was the first Bourbon King of Spain, decided something new. He made it so that only the government could make coins. This was called a "State monopoly."
Coin Mints Across Spain
Later, during the time of Isabella II, there were seven official places that made coins. These were in important cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Pamplona. There were also mints in Jubia, Segovia, and even Manila in the Philippines. Each of these mints had its own special mark.
In 1869, Spain got a new national money called the peseta. At that time, only the Royal Mint in Madrid was still making coins.
Merging to Form the FNMT
In 1893, two different government offices joined together. One was the Mint (called Casa de la Moneda), which made coins. The other was the Stamp Factory (called Fábrica del Sello), which made stamps. They had been sharing a building in Plaza de Colón. When they merged, they created the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre. This is the full name of the Royal Mint today.
New Products Over Time
The Royal Mint started making paper money for the Bank of Spain in 1940. In 1964, they moved into a new building. Here, they began to produce passports and national identification cards. Later, they also started printing bingo cards and tickets for the state-run lottery.
The Royal Mint Today
Today, the Royal Mint has two main locations. One is in Madrid, and the other is in Burgos. The Burgos location is very important because it has the paper mill. This is where the special paper for banknotes is made. Many of the products made by the Royal Mint have an ISO 9001 certification. This means they meet high quality standards.
Making Euro Banknotes
On November 2, 2015, a new company was created. It's called Imprenta de Billetes, S.A. (IMBISA). This company's main job is to print Euro banknotes. The Banco de España (Bank of Spain) owns 80% of this company. The Royal Mint (FNMT-RCM) owns the other 20%.
This new company was started because of new rules from the European Central Bank. These rules said that countries could only print their share of Euro banknotes in two ways. They could print them at a printing place owned by their central bank. Or, they could have other companies bid to print them. Spain chose the first option. This is why IMBISA was created, so the Bank of Spain could have its own company for printing Euros.
Museums to Visit
The Royal Mint has a museum inside its main building in Madrid. It's on the third floor and is called the Museo Casa de la Moneda. Here, you can learn all about the history of money and how it's made.
There's also another historic mint in Segovia. This old mint also has its own museum that you can visit.
See also
In Spanish: Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre para niños
- Casa de Moneda de Jubia
- Spanish peseta
- La casa de papel
