The first woman to run the Royal Mint in more than a thousand years is leaving, after a period in which the Mint moved well beyond making coins for our pockets.
The Royal Mint announced on 26 October 2026 that its chief executive, Anne Jessopp, is to step down after an 18-year career there. Appointed chief executive and Deputy Master of the Mint in 2018, she was the first woman to lead the Mint in its 1,100-year history. She stays in post until the 2027-28 financial year, and the search for a successor will begin shortly, the Mint said.
The announcement
In a statement from its press centre, the Royal Mint said Anne Jessopp has decided to pursue a new leadership opportunity and will step down as the organisation "enters the next phase of its transformation". She will remain in post until the 2027-28 financial year, and the process of appointing a successor will start shortly. Business News Wales, reporting the news on 26 October, quoted her as calling her time at the Mint "a privilege, an adventure and the highlight of my career".
Chris Walton, Chair of the Royal Mint board, said she had "successfully led The Royal Mint through a period of profound transformation".
A changed Royal Mint
Jessopp said that over the past eight years the Mint had become "a commercially focused organisation", adapting to the declining use of cash. As fewer coins are needed for change, the Mint has leaned on other work. According to Business News Wales, her time in charge saw it grow its precious metals investment business, launch the 886 by The Royal Mint jewellery brand, and open a plant at Llantrisant in 2024 that recovers gold from electronic waste. Collector coins have stayed central too: commemorative 50p designs, proof sets and the annual sovereign, which this year gained new visual security features, as we explained in How to Tell a Real Gold Sovereign.
What the Mint makes that turns up at home
Most Royal Mint pieces that reach a dealer's desk come from a drawer or a family estate: gold sovereigns and half sovereigns, Britannias, proof sets still in their cases, commemorative crowns and older silver coinage. The Mint's long history is part of what makes British coins so widely collected. Coins struck before 1920 contain 92.5% silver, and between 1920 and 1946 50%, which is why older silver is worth a closer look; our guide to selling pre-1947 silver coins explains the dates.
What drives the value of a coin
A coin is not judged on its metal alone. The date and mint mark matter, since some years were struck in small numbers; so does condition, from the sharpness of the strike to wear on the high points. Proof coins in their original cases with certificates are treated differently from loose bullion, and cleaning a coin almost always harms it. Our list of the rarest UK coins by mintage shows why a single date can stand apart. If you are thinking of selling, see how to sell gold sovereigns with us. Every coin is different: send us a few photos and we will tell you what yours is worth, free and with no obligation.
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- The Royal Mint press centre: First Female Leader of The Royal Mint Announces Departure after 18-year Career (26 Oct 2026)
- Business News Wales: Royal Mint Chief Executive Anne Jessopp Announces Departure After 18 Years (26 Oct 2026)
Facts as published by the Royal Mint and Business News Wales. Mozeris Fine Antiques is not connected with the Royal Mint. No photograph is used because no image issued for editorial use was available.
