The Master of the Mint reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Master of the Mint

Master of the Mint was an important office in the British government between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Master was the highest officer in the royal mint. Until 1699, appointment was usually for life. Its holder occasionally sat in the cabinet. The office was abolished as an independent position in 1870, thereafter being held as a subsidiary office of the Chancellor of the Exchequer

Masters of the Mint, 1572-1869