One Pound (British Coin) - Designs

Designs

The £1 coin has the standard obverse designs used on all contemporary British coins, namely the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin in 1983 and 1984, by Raphael Maklouf between 1985 and 1997, and by Ian Rank-Broadley since 1998. All have had the inscription .

Uniquely amongst modern British coinage, the £1 coin has a mint mark: a small crosslet found on the milled edge that represents Llantrisant in South Wales, where the Royal Mint has been based since 1968.

An interesting feature of this denomination is that the design of the reverse of the coin changed each year between 1983 and 2008 to show, in turn, an emblem representing the UK, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, together with an appropriate edge inscription. The inscription appears at the bottom of all reverse designs before April 2008.

In August 2005 the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins apart from the £2 coin. The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from summer 2008. The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The new £1 coin design features the shield in its entirety, representing the UK as a whole. The inscription appears on either side of the emblem.

The reverse designs are as follows.

1983, 1993, 1998, 2003 & 2008: Ornamental royal arms.
Edge inscription: ("An ornament and a safeguard" – originally on 17th century coins, this refers to the inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious metal. The original appearance of the phrase is attributed to an epic poem by Virgil—"viro decus et tutamen in armis" (Aeneid, Book V, L. 262), describing a piece of armour, a breast-plate interwoven with gold, which was awarded as a prize to Mnestheus.) Designed by Eric Sewell.

is the motto of a British Army cavalry regiment, later artillery - The Essex Yeomanry, established in 1794. The motto was confirmed by King Edward VII in 1909 when it was added to a regimental guidon (or colours) presented to the Essex Yeomanry regiment by the King. The definitions are: "decus" - shield, virtue, honour or glory; and "tutamen" - defence or protection, thus the meaning is said to be: "shield and protection" or "honour and defence", etc.
1984 & 1989: Thistle sprig in a coronet, representing Scotland.
Edge inscription: ("No-one provokes me with impunity" – the Latin motto of the Order of the Thistle).
1985 & 1990. Leek in a coronet, representing Wales.
Edge inscription: ("True am I to my country" – from the chorus of the Welsh National Anthem).
1986 & 1991: Flax in a coronet, representing Northern Ireland.
Edge inscription: .
1987 & 1992: Oak tree in a coronet, representing England.
Edge inscription: .
1988: Crown over the Royal coat of arms.
Edge inscription: .
1994: Lion Rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory, representing Scotland.
Edge inscription: .
1995 & 2000: Dragon Passant representing Wales.
Edge inscription: .
1996 & 2001: Celtic cross, Broighter collar and pimpernel, representing Northern Ireland.
Edge inscription: .
1997 & 2002: Three lions passant guardant, representing England.
Edge inscription: .
1998: As 1983. Issued in collectors' sets only, not for circulation.
1999: As 1994. Issued in collectors' sets only, not for circulation
2004: Forth Bridge (Scotland).
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust. Encircled by dots.
Reverse: Forth Rail Bridge, below. Encircled by a railway line.
Edge: Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular.
2005: Menai Suspension Bridge (Wales).
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust. Encircled by dots.
Reverse: Menai Suspension Bridge, below. Encircled by a truss.
Edge: Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular.
2006: MacNeill's Egyptian Arch at Newry (Belfast–Dublin railway line, Northern Ireland).
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust. Encircled by dots.
Reverse: MacNeill's Egyptian Arch, below. Encircled by a truss.
Edge: Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular.
2007: Millennium Bridge, Newcastle/Gateshead (England).
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust. Encircled by dots.
Reverse: Millennium Bridge, below. Encircled by a truss.
Edge: Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular.
2008 onwards: The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms.
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust.
Reverse: The Royal Shield, and either side of the shield.
Edge inscription: .
2010: Coat of Arms of the City of London.
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust.
Reverse: Circular Coat of Arms of the City of London, above at top, and around each side of the Shield. Small Coats of Arms of the other 3 capital cities of the UK in the intended set along bottom (left to right; Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh)
Edge inscription: ("Lord, guide us." – the Latin motto of the City of London).
2010: Coat of Arms of Belfast.
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust.
Reverse: Circular Coat of Arms of Belfast, above at top, and around each side of the Shield. Small Coats of Arms of the other 3 capital cities of the UK in the intended set along bottom (left to right; Edinburgh, London, Cardiff)
Edge inscription: ("For so much, what shall we give in return?" – the Latin motto of Belfast).
2011: Coat of Arms of Cardiff.
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust.
Reverse: Circular Coat of Arms of Cardiff, above at top, and around each side of the Shield. Small Coats of Arms of the other 3 capital cities of the UK in the intended set along bottom (left to right; Belfast, Edinburgh, London)
Edge inscription: ("The Red Dragon shall lead" - the motto of Cardiff).
2011: Coat of Arms of Edinburgh.
Obverse: Rank-Broadley head, inscription, starting below, directly under the bust.
Reverse: Circular Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, above at top, and around each side of the Shield. Small Coats of Arms of the other 3 capital cities of the UK in the intended set along bottom (left to right; London, Cardiff, Belfast)
Edge inscription: ("It is vain without the Lord" - the Latin motto of Edinburgh).

All years except 1998 and 1999 have been issued into circulation, although the number issued has varied enormously – 1983 and 1984 in particular had large mintages to facilitate the changeover from paper notes, while some years such as 1986 and 1988 are only rarely seen (although 1988 is more noticeable as it has a unique reverse). Production since 1997 has been reduced, thanks to the introduction of the circulating two pound coin.

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