Why is the Royal Mint making jewellery instead of coins?

Image caption, Cufflinks are part of the jewellery range being introduced by the Royal Mint

More and more people are swapping cash for contactless payments - which means fewer coins are being made.

That means the Royal Mint, the company which produces coins for the UK, don't make as many anymore.

So what are they working on instead?

Some jewellery!

Image source, EPA

Image caption, Traditional coin-pressing methods are being used for making some of the jewellery

The engineers use traditional coin-pressing techniques to make a lot of the jewellery.

Engineer Daniel Thomas said his team are used to working with precious metals. He added: "it is a step change but we use the same quality inspection and pride in craftsmanship."

The Royal Mint are making a range of jewellery, from cufflinks to necklaces, and they've been on sale since July this year.

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