The Royal Mint introduce new coins

[belfastuniguy 18]

Royal Mint unveils coin designs

Matthew Dent, from Bangor, designed the new coins Designer Matthew Dent

The winning entry in a competition to design the first new British coin series for 40 years has been unveiled.

The designs, which each feature a part of the royal coat of arms, will be on coins from 1p to £1, with the familiar Queen's head image on the other side.

Old coins will remain legal tender alongside the new versions being introduced this summer.

The designs mean no more 50p coins with Britannia, the female personification of Britain, will be produced.

'Tremendous honour'

There were 4,000 entries to the public competition to find the new designs.

Matthew Dent, 26, from Bangor, Gwynedd, won the competition. He will have his work stamped on the side of millions of coins.

The royal coat of arms featured in Matthew's designs are a symbol of the reigning monarch.

Mr Dent said: "For designs of mine to appear on a medium as significant and prestigious as the United Kingdom's coinage and to be produced and circulated in millions is a tremendous honour."

The billions of existing coins will stay in circulation

[GingerBlokey 30]

Oh my god! They are beautiful. I actually love them! I really, really love them. The 20p is the sexiest.

[coolotter88 2]

in no way related to arthur dent, the guy who hitchhiked across the universe?

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

The coins look very good, but what are they made of?

[coolotter88 2]

I'm 100% sure they're made of metal, there is no possibility that they are made of wood.

[belfastuniguy 18]

1p - copper-plated steel

2p - copper-plated steel

5p - cupro-Nickel

10p - cupro-Nickel

20p - cupro-Nickel

50p - cupro-Nickel

[belfastuniguy 18]

Edit - You can also order sets made from gold, silver and platinum. These are meant as gifts and for collectors, but are legal tender

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

So, in other words, it's a pretty but entirely debased currency like our own. The ways the gov't distracts us just amaze.

[Duke87 1,070]

So the backs of the coins will form the coat of arms when you array them out.

Okay, I gotta admit, that is a pretty nifty idea.

Unfortunately, it makes some of them look rather ridiculous by themselves (the 20p coin looks like a tire ran over half of it), so my feelings on this are mixed.

....wait, what am I saying. I'm an American. I'm not supposed to give a damn!

[beebs 129]

Those are some of the coolest looking coins I've ever seen. I want some now.

[outriderdriver 4]

Originally posted by: GingerBlokey Oh my god! They are beautiful. I actually love them! I really, really love them. The 20p is the sexiest.quote>

 

that is one good looking little number id'nt it? The US couldnt match these..

[Rymac91 15]

That's a cool idea with the coins!

EDIT: Wait, what's on the other side of the coins?

[sakarr 1]

i love them

i think american moneys boring lol

[nazaguy 0]

Now i'll be keeping something a lot more interesting in my pants!

[TheQuiltedLlama 34]

I love them. I especially love the 1p coin, never again shall I leave my 1 penny change behind.

[saltandsauce 0]

YUCK

whats with the sheild and not fitting the actual indentation on the coins thers something missing

[JanYpe 17]

Cool designs.

Originally posted by: Rymac91 That's a cool idea with the coins!

EDIT: Wait, what's on the other side of the coins?quote>

Probably a picture of the queen like on our coins.

Originally posted by: manticorefan So, in other words, it's a pretty but entirely debased currency like our own. The ways the gov't distracts us just amaze.quote>

Gold standard-ite spotted!

Gold is not practical, infinitely available or in any way practical for our market economy. Lamenting the fact that we started using bank notes and the nominal value of money is slightly silly.

[ILL Tonkso 1,236]

When I opened this artical I though, 'oh no their gonna suck...' but I must say I am actually quite impressed.

[kawan 6]

I heard this on the news yesterday, and they were looking at other design proposals, such as a CCTV camera looking down on a street for the 50p coin (emulating that the UK is one of the most "watched" countries).

This design though I think looks great. Very imaginative.

[TRNSTN 0]

Those coins are nice! completely different design from traditional coin desings from all around the world.

[belfastuniguy 18]

I agree with JanYpe, using gold to back currency is out-of-date and not practical.

Yes the Queen will be on the other side of the coins, I like them, they look very impressive as well as being modern but unmistakably British. I still think we should stop 1p and 2p's though...maybe even 5p's

[Callbat 8]

When I opened this artical I though, 'oh no their gonna suck...' but I must say I am actually quite impressed.quote>

Same here, those look very classy.

[saltandsauce 0]

i suppose this will be the last coins before the Euro barges in on us

i think deflation would be quite welcome since once apon a time 1p bought as much as 20p now

[krbe 193]

Originally posted by: Callbat

When I opened this artical I though, 'oh no their gonna suck...' but I must say I am actually quite impressed.quote>

Same here, those look very classy.quote>

Just remember that this is as good as they get; from this point onwards, it's just downhill for the quality.

[belfastuniguy 18]

i suppose this will be the last coins before the Euro barges in on usquote>

I don't see the UK joining the Euro for a very long time. Northern Ireland already have made moves toward greater acceptance giving out border with a Euro country. Things like Euro ATM's, phoneboxes and most stores in Newry, Londonderry and Belfast accept the Euro as payment.

deflation would be quite welcomequote>

Deflation is not a good thing to have in an economy.