Write a story on the theme of gold for Royal Mint

Open to children aged seven to 11 years, the Royal Mint Museum Short Story Competition is encouraging young writers to craft a story on the theme of gold.

Prizes include a gold half-sovereign coin and £5,000 in book vouchers for the winner's school or local library. Second and third place will receive a silver sovereign.

Entries must be received by Friday 17 April 2026 and the winners will be named in May.

From buried treasure to secret vaults, Olympic glory or chocolate coins; gold can mean many things. The Royal Mint Museum's annual short story competition is inviting young writers to craft a tale on the theme of gold to be in with a chance of winning their very own solid gold coin.

Pupils are tasked with writing a story of up to 500 words inspired by The Royal Mint's millennium-long history in precious metals. The competition is open to children across the UK, and entries are welcome in any language.

Inspiration and entry details can be found at the Royal Mint Museum website, together with resources created by The Royal Mint Museum to help spark young writers' imaginations.

Entries will be judged by The King's Assay Master, who's in charge of ensuring the quality and integrity of all UK coins.

Prizes

This year's winning author will receive their very own gold coin from The Royal Mint, a framed illustrated copy of their story by artist Laura K Sayers, and a £5,000 voucher from Peters, the specialist supplier of books and equipment to schools, to spend on books and resources for their school or local library.

Second prize includes a silver sovereign and a £2,000 Peters voucher. Third prize includes a silver sovereign and a £1,000 Peters voucher. Five runners-up and ten highly commended entries will each receive commemorative coins.

All winning stories will be published on The Royal Mint Museum website and added to the Museum's archive, which documents over 1,100 years of The Royal Mint's history. Dr Kevin Clancy of the Royal Mint Museum said: "Every year we're amazed by the creativity and imagination of the young writers who enter. The theme of gold opens up so many possibilities, and we can't wait to see what this year's entries bring."