The King's Remembrancer, Senior Master Cook of the Kings' Bench Division of the High Court, has today pronounced a positive verdict on the 6,432 coins submitted in February by The Royal Mint at the Trial of the Pyx - one of the United Kingdom's oldest judicial processes.

Among the submissions was a silver sixpence made from silver recovered from expired medical and industrial x-ray films. Reintroduced by The Royal Mint in 2016 as a decimal coin, the silver sixpence is traditionally thought to bring luck and good fortune when given as a gift at weddings, birthdays, christenings and anniversaries. The x-ray silver sixpence was released in a limited run to promote the revival of "Stir Up Sunday" - a Victorian tradition where a silver sixpence would be placed into the Christmas pudding mix, before family members took turns to stir the pudding and make a wish - their production forms part of the Mint's commitment to pioneering sustainability across its businesses.

Today's verdict marks the end of a three-stage process, which began in February, when a jury of Goldsmiths' Company members carefully counted and weighed a randomly selected sample of all new coins from The Royal Mint's 2024 production. After adjourning for three months to allow the London Assay Office time to thoroughly test the coins, the King's Remembrancer then delivers the verdict at Goldsmiths' Hall, where both the Trial and the Verdict have taken place annually since 1871.

The Trial - which was first conducted in 1248 - fulfils a legal requirement imposed by an Act of Parliament (Coinage Act 1971) to conduct an examination by jury to ascertain that the coins of the realm, produced by The Royal Mint, are of the correct weight, size, and composition. As Master of The Royal Mint, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, is held responsible for the outcome.

Richard Reid, Prime Warden (Chairs the Board) of the Goldsmiths' Company commented:

Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive and Deputy Master of The Royal Mint said:

Dan Thomas, Head of Lifestyle Operations at The Royal Mint and The King's Assay Master said:

To read the complete article, see:
Sixpences made from recycled silver pass the Trial of the Pyx(https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company-news/sixpences-made-from-recycled-silver-pass-the-trial-of-the-pyx)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
RECYCLED SILVER AT THE TRIAL OF THE PYX(https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n09a25.html)