The Mint

Circa 1880s

Albumen print mounted on card

7.5 x 9.25 in   |  19 x 23.5 cm

In the early 1700s, the site of today’s Mint was used as barracks / soldier’s apartments. According to a traveller from that era, the barracks and soldier's rooms that once stood on the site of the modern Mint were roomy and had "great length, answerable breadth, on each side of which is a fine piazza with stone pillars."

The Mint, also known as the Bombay Mint, is a coin and currency manufacturing facility that was established during the British colonial era. The Bombay Mint, a neoclassical structure, was constructed between 1821 and 1829 on the site of the Fort.

The architect was John Hawkins of the Bombay Engineers. It was inaugurated in 1829 by the British East India Company and was responsible for producing coins and currency notes for the British Indian government. The facility was established to ensure a regular supply of standardised currency for trade and commerce within the British-controlled territories. Initially governed by the governor of the Bombay Presidency, it was transferred to the Government of India on 18 May 1876 through Finance Department Resolution 247.

The Mint complex is located in the Fort area of Mumbai, which is a historically significant part of the city due to its association with colonial rule. The building stands as a testament to Mumbai's history and its role in the economic and administrative affairs of colonial India. Presently it also serves as a tourist attraction and a reminder of the city's past.

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