Bavarian State Mint

Bavarian State Mint

The Bavarian Mint (Bayerisches Hauptmünzamt) is located in Munich, the capital the German federal state of Bavaria. It is currently one of several institutions in the eurozone permitted to produce euro coinage.

For more than 850 years, the Bavarian Mint has made the quality of its coins, seals and medals its first priority. In the past, the quality and rating of the coins were more dependent upon the value of the metal. Today, however, because of modernized production techniques, the quality of the coin determines the value of the coin. The requirements for quality are influenced by many different factors including the condition of the coin and the purity of the metals used. It is also crucial that the mint be able to prevent its coins from being counterfeited.

Coins and Medals

The Bavarian Mint, along with the Berlin, Hamburg, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart Mints, is responsible for the production of both general issue and commemorative German euro coins. It also produces the Andorran Eagle bullion coin series. From the mint’s inception to 1873, the mint was responsible for producing the Bavarian Gulden until the switch to the Gold mark was made. The mint then produced Papiermarks in 1915, Rentenmarks in 1922, Reichsmarks in late 1923 and Deutsche marks in 1949.

In addition to coins, the Bavarian Mint also produces medals and official seal plates. They were responsible for producing the official Olympic medals for the 1972 Summer Olympics, held in Munich. Medals commemorating the Kingdom of Bavaria, the porcelain factory at Nymphenburg Palace and the mint itself were also produced in Munich.

Quality and Environmental Responsibility

Although the mint is very well trusted, it is constantly adapting and improving its quality control and manufacturing processes, ensuring the utmost quality and precision. The Bavarian Mint also continually trains its employees and raises awareness about its involvement in every step of the production process, the connection they have with their clients, and quality awareness. The goal of the Bavarian State Mint is to satisfy customer needs as efficiently and expediently as possible. Additionally, the mint continually tests its various methods and systems to make as many improvements as possible.

Because the Bavarian State Mint is owned by the Free State of Bavaria, the mint feels an obligation to the people of Bavaria to preserve the environment. In fact, an important part of the mint’s management philosophy is to regard ecological awareness as a key element taken into consideration by every aspect of the business. The Bavarian Mint is even certified under ISO 14001, an internationally accepted standard that delineates how to impose a practical and competent environmental management system within a business or organization. The purpose of ISO 14001, and the entire ISO 14000 family, is to help businesses minimize the negative impact their operations have on the environment and remain financially successful while helping them comply with any laws and regulations designed to protect the environment.

In order to produce the mint’s various coins, seals and medals in an environmentally conscious manner, every employee of the mint is required to undergo training in environmental politics. Additionally, the mint advises customers and other organizations with which it does business to adopt more environmentally responsible practices.