Warden of the Mint Master of the Mint whose jobs was act as a contractor to the crown many wardens advanced later on to become Master of the Mint with some wardens holding both offices at the same time. The most illustrious holder of the office of Warden of the Mint was Isaac Newton, who was warranted to this position on the recommendation of his friend, Montagu, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1698. In 1699 however, Newton undertook the office of Master of the Mint, which was far more lucrative, as well as potentially more technically challenging. After the death of the final warden
Royal Mint with the English Pound Sterling which caused the Edinburgh mint to eventually close on 4 August 1710. As Britain's empire continued to expand, so to was the need to supply its coinage. This along with the need for new mint machinery and cramped conditions within the Tower of London, led to plans for the mint to move to nearby East Smithfield. Located opposite from the Tower of London on Tower Hill, the new purpose-built mint began construction in 1805 and was completed by 1809. However it was not until 1812 that the move became official, when keys from the old