Now although it has been nearly a month since its general release, I have finally managed to acquire one of the new pound coins that doesn’t look like it has been dragged through a muddy field (I mean it has just been under a month…how do people manage to get them so dirty so quickly?). So anyway, the design on the reverse is of the principle ‘flowers’ which represent each principle country of the UK. You have the rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, the leek for Wales, and the shamrock for N. Ireland. A winning design picked from a group selected by the Royal Mint. I did hear on the grapevine somewhere that one of the chief entries for consideration for the new coin was to put something iconic of Britain on there, and someone came up with a full English breakfast. The fact this was seriously considered did not fill my heart with confidence. Thankfully they chose something a bit more sensible, if somewhat boring.
So the new pound is radically different to the old ones. It is somewhat larger, thinner and sports a new shape reminiscent of the old three pence piece the UK had prior to decimalisation in 1971. It is also made up of two contrasting metals with a nickel-brass outer ring and a cupro-nickel core, making it very similar to the current circulating £2 coin, and a slight imitation to the 1 euro coin. So the big question is, why the radical change? Why now, after the last major change to the UK currency was back in the late 90’s with the introduction of the £2 coin.
The simple answer is… just to combat fraud. The pound coin is one of the most forged coins in British circulation, with the Royal Mint estimating that 1 in every 8 pound coins is fake. So with the radical change in the coins composition and design other security features have also been added. As well as the new shape, the usual ridged edge has also been included in the design. As well as a semi-holographic area underneath the Queen’s portrait on the front (which I am told is also the 6th current portrait of her, and the new pound is the first coin to utilise it) which switches between the number one and the pound symbol. Along the edges in fine writing there is script, which I didn’t notice until I inspected the coin with a jewellers loupe. I personally thought it was just random bumps as decoration. Either way, on the obverse the small script says the value of the coin, whilst on the back it shows the date. There is a final hidden security feature which hasn’t been told to the general public (I am sure we will all find out sooner or later), which allows any authority to instantly check to see if the coin is legitimate or not.
As for my own personal opinion I am still a bit ambivalent about the coin. As a collector I love seeing new stuff and witnessing big changes in a country’s coinage. However, I feel a little bit sad as the old design will be phased out by the end of the year and it is something I have always known and grown up with. I guess right now I am going through what everyone does when something new comes along and changes things. I am sure the new pound will grow on me, and I will continue looking forward to the revealing of new designs on future strikes. As long as it’s not a bloody full English breakfast…
Numismatic Exploits 