Film: The Trial of The Pyx - 775 years of consumer protection

One of the oldest judicial procedures in the United Kingdom, the Trial of The Pyx ensures that coins produced by the Royal Mint meet standards of quality, weight and purity, and is one of the main ways that the Goldsmiths' Company contributes to national life and protects consumers.

Little has changed in the procedure since the Trial began under the reign of Edward I, with coins being randomly selected throughout the year from every batch of each denomination struck, sealed in bags containing 50 coins each, and locked away in the Pyx boxes for testing at the Trial.

Officials from The Royal Mint bring the pyx boxes to Goldsmiths' Hall, containing coins put aside in the course of manufacture during the previous year. These coins, normally more than 50,000 in total, represent one coin from every batch of each denomination minted.

The modern Trial is conducted in accordance with the Coinage Act of 1971 and is presided over by the King’s Remembrancer of the Royal Courts of Justice, with a trial jury made up of members of the Goldsmiths' Company.

Learn more about The Trial of The Pyx.

A film by Lucy Emms for The Goldsmiths' Company

---