(Westfork, Arkansas) Beginning on October 2, 2021, local family-run fantasy coining operation Shire Post Mint is opening its doors to walk-in customers for the first time. Now a custom-designed building and retail space on 52 W Main St in West Fork, the company previously operated privately in Springdale. At their new location, Shire Post Mint welcomes all visitors from 10am to 5pm every day to shop for a variety of hand-crafted coins—from favorite series like The Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones to specialty in-house designs, like Moon Coins and breakable Pizza Coins.

The new space also supports outside artists and craftspeople by including a selection of locally-produced and handcrafted small goods, books, and jewelry that are perfect for additional unique gifts. Items featured include greeting cards by Postal Planet, candles by Whitney, handmade wands, herbal items by Yarb Apothecary, and more available exclusively at this space.

The building and grounds are also designed to add to a fantastical experience, with much more to come. The October 2 opening marks the beginning of the transition of this site into a destination that will include food trucks, book readings, tours of the shop, and outdoor events, as a new social center for the West Fork community located an easy drive from Fayetteville. Although these events cannot yet be executed due the pandemic, Shire Post Mint urges frequent trips to see its additions.

Shire Post Mint was founded 20 years ago in 2001 when Tom Maringer bought his first antique coin press. He had a passion for coin collecting and his years of knife-making gave him metalworking knowledge. His techniques of hand-engraving steel dies and pressing one at a time were used in the 1800s and earlier. After a few years of research, refinement, and building a small following online, his work caught the eye of George R.R. Martin, who was interested in having coins made from his series of books, A Song of Ice and Fire. Since then, Shire Post Mint has grown into an internationally-recognized company known for attention to detail and a high level of craftsmanship, all while still being super nerdy! For more information or online shopping, see shirepost.com

Support the business and find unique gifts starting October 2. Masks are required for entry and, due to the size of the space, capacity is limited to follow social distancing safety protocols.

Visit our gift shop at 52 W. Main St, West Fork, AR 72774. Open 10am-5pm, 7 days a week

Rare Elements Foundry acquired by Shire Post Mint

In 2021, Shire Post Mint acquired Rare Elements Foundry. Rare Elements Foundry was founded in 2013 by Miya Sohoza & Kerry Bodenbender. We at Shire Post Mint have been fans of Miya and Kerry's work for years. We hope to honor and uplift the incredible designs they have created.

A bit about Shire Post Mint:

Tom Maringer, blacksmith-turned-coinmaker, always had a passion for collecting stamps and coins. He stumbled upon an antique screw press in 2001 and decided to try making coins. Shire Post Mint started in 2003 when Tom Maringer began making officially licensed coins for George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Since then, our team has grown to employ the whole Maringer family and a fantastic team of nerds, tinkerers, and enthusiasts. We now make official coins from The Lord of the Rings, American Gods, Mistborn, The Kingkiller Chronicle, Conan the Barbarian, The Demon Cycle, and more. We still make our coins using hand-engraved designs and antique coin machines. We work in metals like copper, fine silver, brass, bronze, iron, titanium, anodized niobium, and mokume-gane.

Learn more about our process

The future of Rare Elements Foundry: 

Our main goal is to preserve, honor, and uplift the incredible designs on the coins. For us, this means a shift away from bulk sets and towards items like single coins, decision makers, pendants, and wax seal designs. 

All backstock that was originally minted by Rare Elements Foundry as well as designs brought back into production were made available on shirepost.com on August 16, 2021. 

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Shop our bowlerite collection by clicking here.

Code expires Sun. 8/15 at 11:59pm CST