The Monnaie de Paris

The Monnaie de Paris's minting plant at Pessac, Bordeaux was opened in 1973. It is a six-acre concrete compound employing 300 people. The plant has a total production capacity of 2,400 million coins per year but the average production is between seven and eight million coins per day in a single shift. In emergencies that a second shift can increase capacity to 14 million coins per day.

Last year the mint produced 1,533 million circulation coins, including euros and export coins, 134,000 individual proof coins in silver, about 259,500 coins in sets of eight or nine coins and 2,907 000 tokens.

The mint has 35 presses including 28 high speed machines that produce an incredible 14 coins per second with a nominal force of up to 200 tons.

Once the coins are ready they are directed to eight packing lines.

Coins of a single denomination are wrapped in rolls and put into small cardboard boxes holding 20 or 50 rolls. Other lines pack the coins in plastic bags which are then thermo-sealed under vacuum and put into wooden boxes.

The monnaie has a loading/unloading wharf with three security storage places for the coins, including one underground.