Old medal press as exhibited at the 1862 International Exhibition in London by J.R. Pinches & Co., medallists. The press was built by James Watt & Co. of Birmingham. With Die of Charles Dickens and medallion of Charles Dickens and a pair of dies.

This fly-press, so named because the pressing force to form a medal from a flat piece of metal is derived from the large, weighted 'fly' lever on top being rotated, was obtained from James Watt & Co. by London medal-makers Pinches & Co., founded c.1841 by Thomas Ryan and John Pinches. Watt & Co. were notable makers of mint machinery for manufacturing coins, following on from their best-known earlier work building steam engines - one of the enterprises established by original business partner Matthew Boulton was the Soho Mint, the first steam-powered mint anywhere in the world. In 1860 James Watt & Co. re-established the Soho Foundry Mint using the earlier patterns surviving in considerable numbers in the pattern stores at Soho. This press is large: smaller versions were used to make coins - it weighs 3.5 tons in total. It was designed to be worked by hand. Although the date of manufacture can be relatively closely placed to 1860-1862, the press includes design features in its casting similar to those found in the mint machinery made at Soho as early as 1788. At the 1862 International Exhibition, Pinches & Co. used the press to demonstrate striking medals in aluminium, demonstrating the adaptability of that newly-discovered metal for visitors.