The Mint or De Munt Tower on Muntplein sits at a busy traffic intersection at the Rokin and Singel canals.In 1487, the tower’s base was part of the Reguliers Gate in the city wall. In 1620, Hendrick de Keyser topped it with an ornate, lead-covered tower. Bells were added in the middle of the 17th century though these have also been modified and changed over the years, with the original bells now housed in the Amsterdam Historical Museum.At one stage, the tower was used as a mint during the time of French occupation in the 17th century and, as a result, it was given the name Mint Tower. At the time, money was minted here for security reasons, as it was too dangerous to transport the raw ingredients to the usual Mint suppliers.