Economy of Wales forestry and fishing together contributed 1.5%. As in the rest of the United Kingdom, the currency used in Wales is the Pound, represented by the symbol "£". The Bank of England is the central bank, responsible for issuing currency, and retains responsibility for monetary policy and is the central bank of the UK. The Royal Mint, which issues the coinage circulated over the whole of the UK, has been based at a single site in Llantrisant, south Wales since 1980, having progressively transferred operations from their Tower Hill, London site from 1968. Economic output per head has been lower in
Royal Mint Exchequer George Osborne announced a £20 billion privatisation drive to raise funds with the "Royal Mint" being up for sale alongside other institutions including the Met Office and Companies House. With its new found financial freedom the Mint begun diversifying their product range through expanding to offer items outside their usual coin-related merchandise. By the early 2000s the Mint was selling different types of jewellery, commemorative plates and figurines, eventually creating its own "Royal Mint Classics" range of collectable goods. This part of the business proved popular in attracting new customers however suffered from poor product development. Example of its