Information about mint: King's Norton Metal Co.

King's Norton Metal Co. (1889 - 1962)

In 1889 Thomas Richard Bayliss and his son, Thomas Abraham Bayliss, founded King's Norton Metal Co. It incorporated as a Limited Company in 1890 and was registered on 21 February.

In 1912 King's Norton Metal Co provided the first competition to Birmingham Mint when it was also contracted to supply bronze blanks to the Royal Mint. Subsequently, UK coins were minted at King's Norton and this led to the recognition of the mint mark KN which has, very unobtrusively, appeared on the reverse of many millions of coins for a large number of different companies. In 1914 it also struck coins for the colonies.

The company mainly manufactured naval and military ammunition, rolled metals and wire. Specialities: cartridges for small arms, naval and field guns, fuses, primers, specialist metals.

In 1918, Explosives Trades Ltd was formed to merge together the UK explosives industry including Nobel Explosives, G. Kynoch and Co, Curtis's and Harvey, Eley, King's Norton Metal Co and Birmingham Metal and Munitions Co.

In 1920 the name changed to Nobel Industries. In 1926, the company became part of ICI. In 1962, King's Norton was reorganised as part of Imperial Metal Industries Limited.

Coin Types predominantly or exclusively minted by King's Norton Metal Co. (2):
CountryCurrencyCoin TypeFromTo
Katanga Katangese Franc Five Francs 1961 1961
Katanga Katangese Franc One Franc 1961 1961
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Coins struck by King's Norton Metal Co. (72):
CountryYearNameMintageMint Mark
British West Africa 1914 Halfpenny 1914 4,185,000 Letter K
United Kingdom 1918 Penny 1918 87,888,172 Letters KN
British West Africa 1919 One Penny 1919 22,128,300 Letters KN
British West Africa 1919 Halfpenny 1919 8,811,600 Letters KN
British West Africa 1919 One-tenth Penny 1919 1,392,000 Letters KN
United Kingdom 1919 Penny 1919 118,970,690 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 Two Shillings 1920 (Brass) 15,856,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 One Shilling 1920 (Brass) 33,816,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 Sixpence 1920 (Brass) 12,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 Threepence 1920 (Brass) 19,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 One Penny 1920 58,554,600 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 Halfpenny 1920 40,128,940 Letters KN
British West Africa 1920 One-tenth Penny 1920 14,556,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1922 Two Shillings 1922 15,500,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1922 One Shilling 1922 33,324,355 Letters KN
British West Africa 1922 One Penny 1922 3,970,560 Letters KN
British West Africa 1922 Halfpenny 1922 5,817,360 Letters KN
British West Africa 1922 One-tenth Penny 1922 7,264,778 Letters KN
British West Africa 1923 One Shilling 1923 29,384,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1923 One-tenth Penny 1923 12,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1924 One Shilling 1924 33,566,800 Letters KN
British West Africa 1924 Sixpence 1924 3,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1925 One-tenth Penny 1925 26,400,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1928 One-tenth Penny 1928 17,875,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 Two Shillings 1936 57,437,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 One Shilling 1936 42,882,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 Sixpence 1936 13,576,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 Threepence 1936 20,198,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 One Penny 1936 Edward VIII 33,104,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 Halfpenny 1936 Edward VIII 19,457,760 Letters KN
British West Africa 1936 One-tenth Penny 1936 Edward VIII 10,284,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1937 One Penny 1937 18,111,400 Letters KN
British West Africa 1937 Halfpenny 1937 9,599,200 Letters KN
British West Africa 1938 Two Shillings 1938 59,852,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1938 Threepence 1938 16,056,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1939 Two Shillings 1939 12,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1939 Threepence 1939 33,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1940 Threepence 1940 11,496,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1940 One Penny 1940 8,640,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1940 Halfpenny 1940 2,410,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1942 Two Shillings 1942 10,000,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1943 Threepence 1943 14,608,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1944 Threepence 1944 2,536,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1945 One Shilling 1945 31,994,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1945 Threepence 1945 3,998,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1945 One Penny 1945 24,628,800 Letters KN
British West Africa 1946 Two Shillings 1946 16,042,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1946 Threepence 1946 7,488,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1946 One Penny 1946 23,442,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1946 One-tenth Penny 1946 9,959,200 Letters KN
British West Africa 1947 Two Shillings 1947 8,958,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1947 One Shilling 1947 119,584,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1947 Threepence 1947 21,248,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1947 One Penny 1947 81,252,020 Letters KN
British West Africa 1947 Halfpenny 1947 27,218,400 Letters KN
British West Africa 1947 One-tenth Penny 1947 8,102,400 Letters KN
British West Africa 1949 Two Shillings 1949 15,076,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1949 One Shilling 1949 90,016,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1949 Halfpenny 1949 8,271,800 Letters KN
British West Africa 1949 One-tenth Penny 1949 6,736,320 Letters KN
British West Africa 1950 One-tenth Penny 1950 13,200,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1951 One Shilling 1951 62,178,142 Letters KN
British West Africa 1951 One Penny 1951 3,949,900 Letters KN
British West Africa 1952 Two Shillings 1952 5,646,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1952 One Shilling 1952 184,402,545 Letters KN
British West Africa 1952 One Penny 1952 86,734,800 Letters KN
British West Africa 1952 Halfpenny 1952 43,735,560 Letters KN
British West Africa 1956 One Penny 1956 27,002,800 Letters KN
British West Africa 1957 One Penny 1957 19,940,000 Letters KN
British West Africa 1958 One Penny 1958 12,200,000 Letters KN
Katanga 1961 Five Francs 1961 unknown No mint mark
Katanga 1961 One Franc 1961 unknown No mint mark
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King's Norton Metal Co.: Details
From Year1889
To Year1962
CountryUnited Kingdom
LocationBirmingham
Company typeMint
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Mint Marks used by: King's Norton Metal Co.
Letter K

On some coins, Kings Norton mint had the single letter K as a mint mark.

Letters KN

The Kings Norton mint usually had the letters KN as a mint mark.

No mint mark

The mint had no mint marks on coinage of Katanga in 1961.