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Bavarian State Mint
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Bavarian State Mint
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
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Bavarian State Mint

Founded in 1158
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Place FoundedMunich, Germany, Europe
The Bavarian Mint, founded in 1158, is currently considered the oldest company in Munich, having existed for over 850 years. It was initially built at the Schrannenplaz (now the Marienplaz) and coins were authorized to be minted the year of its establishment. During the 1290s, Bavarian coins became greatly devalued due to their low silver content. In protest, a number of Bavarian citizens destroyed the coin forges at the Munich Mint and killed then-current Münzmeister, Schmiechen. Subsequently the forges were reconstructed at the Münzstraße in Berlin.

The Bavarian Mint in Munich is currently one of the entities, along with the Berlin, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, and Stuttgart Mints, responsible for the production of general issue and commemorative German euro coins. It also currently issues coins of the Andorran Eagle bullion coin series. From the time of the mint's establishment to 1873, it was responsible for producing Bavarian coins. The Bavarian Mint then commenced striking gold mark coins in 1873, Papiermark coinage in 1915, Rentenmark specie in 1922, Reichsmark coins in late 1923, and Deutsche Mark in 1949. The mint in Munich has also produced coins for Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Portugal, the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, and Spain.

Besides coins, medals and official seal plates have been manufactured at the Bavarian Mint. The facility was responsible for the production of the Olympic medals for the 1972 Summer Olympics, which were held in Munich that year. Medals were subsequently made at the Bavarian Mint to commemorate the Kingdom of Bavaria, the porcelain factory at Nymphenburg Palace, and the mint itself.