The first mechanised mint in Spain was housed in the Real Casa de la Moneda, a structure constructed in Segovia in the 16th century.
Philip II commissioned the building of a mint in 1583 so that the roller minting method could be used in Spain. The Mint is regarded as one of Europe's first examples of industrial architecture. It was Spain's first mechanised mint and the first to directly serve the Crown. A cutting-edge and inventive mint was The Real Ingenio de Segovia.
The structure was intended to contain both the various departments involved in the manufacturing process as well as contemporary machinery known as "ingenios." The new manufacturing technique, which predated the modern factories of the industrial revolution by more than 200 years, produced coins in a mechanised and mass-produced manner.
This Renaissance technology was a system of rolling and minting equipment powered by waterwheels. Before being utilised in Segovia, this method was developed in Augsburg in 1550 and applied in other European cities. The greatest industrial convoy ever known to man was used to transport the machine made in Burg Hasegg, Hall in Tirol (Austria) to Spain. Juan de Herrera, one of the most significant Spanish architects in history, collaborated with Austrian architects to create the design for this avant-garde factory.
The flywheel press replaced the original hydraulic roller coining system in 1771. The Bourbons, Spain's new royal house, brought this over from France.
The use of an automatic press for minting was the third and last technology to be brought to the Royal Mint of Segovia. As the last currency in Segovia—a medal honouring the Republic—was produced at the beginning of 1869, this system only functioned for three years.
The structure once housed a flour industry that operated until 1968.
The steps needed to buy the building and restore it were started by the Segovia City Council in 1989. By way of a decree that was published in the Castilla y León Official Gazette on June 12 of that same year, it was designated as an Asset of Cultural Interest on June 8th. Since June 2012, the public has had access to the Royal Mint Museum.
King Philip II designated the location for the Royal Mint in 1583. Juan de Herrera constructed it between 1583 and 1588 for Philip II. It is close to the Hieronymite monks' Monastery of Santa Mara del Parral, which is situated on the left bank of the Eresma River. The complex's sheer size, making it the biggest mint of its era, is a representation of the monarch's dominance.
The building complex is divided into two courtyards, which are connected by a wall covered in the traditional Herrerian balls. The structure's fidelity to the Escorial style may be seen in how the simplicity of its lines predominates over its ornate accents and steep slate roofs.