By Toby Walne for The Mail on Sunday. Toby Walne visits the money-makers at The Royal Mint to discover the secrets of minting coins. He also looks at how we should prepare for the huge coin shake-up and reveals the hidden value of small change in our pocket. Situated on a acre site on the outskirts of Llantrisant in Glamorgan, it looks like just another out-of-town retail park.

The only thing that makes it stand out is a 10ft high perimeter fence heavily policed by spy cameras and topped with menacing razor wire. But it is what is hidden inside that fires up the imagination. Inspired by author Roald Dahl and his novel Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, I was hoping to be greeted by an army of Oompa Loompa workers hammering out pots of coins, singing away beside a magical river of gold.

Yet the secret world that creates cash rather than confectionery is just a noisy modern factory. There are 30 giant fruit machines coughing out a stream of coins just like a Las Vegas one-armed bandit having hit a never-ending jackpot. Talking above the machine gun sound, The Royal Mint chief executive Adam Lawrence says: I dig my hands deep into the treasure chest. Some 40 per cent of car parking machines and drinks dispensers have not yet been adapted.

The new money is being introduced to crack down on fraud. Adam Lawrence, chief executive of The Royal Mint, says: The new coin bears an uncanny resemblance to an old thrupenny bit, a sided coin that vanished with decimalisation in But the new coin is packed with features to make it hard to copy. Another measure to make the coin stand out is a gold-coloured outer ring that is made of nickel-brass and then a silver-coloured inner ring produced from a nickel-plated alloy.

To find out more, visit the website thenewpound coin. After all, the pound is a hugely important coin. The old coins served us well for more than three decades but it is time to make a change and make new ones.

Despite the industrial feel of this money factory, owned by the Treasury, it is hard not to be impressed by the treasure chests of glittering new coins that look like pirate booty. The Royal Mint was founded more than 1, years ago during the reign of King Alfred the Great. From the 13th to 19th Century, it churned out pots of coins at the Tower of London, during which time the premises was also used for torture and beheadings, including the beheadings of two wives of Henry VIII, Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn.

The Royal Mint moved its production facilities to Llantrisant in Most of the coins in your pocket are worth no more than their face value, but there are occasional anomalies. Marc Arnold, of coin trader Cambridgeshire Coins in Cambridge, says: They were never meant to have left The Royal Mint because they are mistakes.

This came about in when The Royal Mint launched a Royal Shield of Arms series of coins that did not include any date. It is believed thousands of these coins were accidentally put in circulation before the mistake was spotted. This was caused by a die working loose. Condition makes a big difference. The Royal Mint is situated on a acre site on the outskirts of Llantrisant in Glamorgan.

Numismatists, the name given to coin collectors, are most interested in coins in proof condition. These are newly minted on polished dies and have never been in circulation.

Although such coins can sell for more than face value, they are usually mementos and do not rise in value. Although modern coins can occasionally be worth more than their face value, the most sought after pieces are usually historic artefacts. Even if you cannot afford an investment grade coin you can still enjoy the thrill of owning a great historic piece for just a few pounds. Roman coins can be picked up for anything from just a few pounds to several thousand.

The coin market is susceptible to fakes so it is important to trade through a reputable dealer.

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Details of traders can be found through the British Numismatic Trade Association. It is thought to be the first coin struck by the US Mint. It is one of 13 known to exist and should have been melted when America quit the Gold Standard. Only three are known to exist. One of the most historic coins in Britain is a 9th Century gold piece, below, depicting Coenwulf, king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. A metal detecting enthusiast discovered it near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire in The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

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