It was apparently during the 19th century that the name « Mint Tower » was given to this part of the enclosure located at the southern end of the fortress. Undoubtedly the discovery of a few coins is at the origin of this name, as is the belief that it is on this location that the monetary workshop created in 1298 was located.
In reality, no tower exists in this location, at least comparable to the West or South towers for example. It is simply a curved masonry which connects the South and South-East curtain walls. It is only equipped with two archers and has no floor. Devoid of a walkway like the curtain walls that it joins together, it will be completed, undoubtedly after 1238, by two pillars on which such a walkway could be built. Likewise, the opinion according to which this masonry would have housed the monetary workshop cannot be accepted. On the one hand, the excavations did not reveal any activity at this location linked to the casting of coins. On the other hand, the place is much too narrow to accommodate all the master coiners and their workers mentioned in the founding text. Furthermore, access to the « tower » would have been much too difficult to bring the materials necessary for manufacturing the parts on site. Finally, the monetary workshop certainly had to, because of its importance, be constantly monitored and controlled. Therefore, it is likely that it was located in the « castle » part of the site.
Poilvache 