Alba Minerals Announces First Gold Production at the Historic Clogau-St David’s Gold Mine in 25 Years

Alba Mineral Resources plc is delighted to announce a landmark achievement in its operations at the Clogau-St David’s Gold Mine in Wales, a mine with strong historical connections to the British Royal Family. In December 2024, the company minted three exclusive gold coins, marking the first gold production from Clogau in over 25 years.

To date, only three new, 1-ounce limited edition “Tyn-y-Cornel” coins have been produced. Each will be offered for sale at an exclusive online auction, with the first coin to be auctioned between the dates of Sunday 30 March and Thursday 3 April 2025. Interested parties may register their interest in the auction at https://alba.irostrum.auction/.

These limited edition “Tyn-y-Cornel” coins, minted in the UK in late 2024 by Betts Refiners (est. 1760) and made exclusively from gold sourced from the Mine, have been beautifully designed and crafted and are expected to attract significant interest from both UK and overseas collectors and investors.

Each coin contains 1oz of pure, 24-carat Welsh gold. The front of the coin features a striking Welsh dragon sitting astride Cadair Idris, one of the most famous mountains in Snowdonia. The back of the coin is inspired by a historical photograph of miners standing outside the Tyn-y-Cornel adit entrance at Clogau, taken during the heyday of gold production at the Mine.

No more than 10 coins will be made in this design, ensuring that each owner of a limited edition Tyn-y-Cornel coin will become part of a very select and exclusive group. The bespoke presentation box for each coin is made out of Welsh oak, lined in crushed velvet, and features the inscription: “Clogau-St David’s Gold Mine, Limited Edition 1oz Coin, Tyn-y-Cornel, 2025”.

Gold was first discovered at the Clogau-St David’s Gold Mine (“Clogau” or the “Mine”) in the Snowdonia (or Eryri) National Park in Wales in 1854. The greatest period of production at the Mine was in the late 19th and early 20th century. In total, about 80,000 ounces of gold was extracted from the Mine, making it by far the United Kingdom’s most prolific source of domestic gold production. The Mine had lain largely inactive since the 1990s, until Alba Mineral Resources plc and its subsidiary Gold Mines of Wales Limited acquired the rights to the Mine in 2018 and embarked upon the most extensive underground exploration and rehabilitation programme seen there in many decades.

Aside from its unique Welsh heritage, gold from the Clogau-St David’s Gold Mine also has a special connection to the British Royal Family.

Welsh gold specifically from Clogau St David’s gold mine has been used to create wedding rings for many members of the British Royal Family, a tradition that began in 1923 with Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, followed by Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, and Princess Diana.
Welsh gold has also been used to make the wedding bands for the Royal wedding in 2011 of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, and in 2005 for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (now Her Majesty Queen Camilla) and Prince Charles (now King Charles III).