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. |
Country | Currency | Coin Type | From | To |
---|---|---|---|---|
Katanga | Katangese Franc | Five Francs | 1961 | 1961 |
Katanga | Katangese Franc | One Franc | 1961 | 1961 |
|
From Year | 1889 |
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To Year | 1962 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Location | Birmingham |
Letter K | On some coins, Kings Norton mint had the single letter K as a mint mark. |
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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. |