United Kingdom One Pound Coin Facts and Features

The United Kingdom One Pound Coin is a staple in British currency, and it's fascinating to learn about its features and facts.

The UK One Pound Coin has undergone several design changes since its introduction in 1983, with a new design being introduced every few years.

One of the most notable features of the UK One Pound Coin is its bi-metallic design, which features a gold-colored outer ring and a silver-colored inner ring.

The UK One Pound Coin is made from a combination of nickel-brass and nickel-plated steel, with a diameter of 22.5mm and a thickness of 3.15mm.

Its weight is approximately 9.4 grams, and it has a reeded edge to prevent counterfeiting.

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The design of the United Kingdom one pound coin has undergone several changes over the years. The obverse, or front side, of the coin features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, with four different designs appearing since 1983. The first three designs featured the inscription ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. with the year of minting, while the fourth design, introduced in 2015, expanded the inscription to ELIZABETH II DEI.GRA.REG.FID.DEF. 2015.

The 12-sided design, introduced in 2017, reverted to the 2017 ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. inscription. The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II has been featured by four different artists: Arnold Machin, Raphael Maklouf, Ian Rank-Broadley, and Jody Clark. Each portrait has been accompanied by a unique signature-mark.

The reverse, or back side, of the coin has also undergone changes. The original design featured an emblem representing the UK, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, with an edge inscription that could be "upside-down". From 2008, national-based designs were still minted, but alongside the new standard version. The inscription ONE POUND appeared on all reverse designs.

The Round Coin is a distinctive feature of the new currency design. Its circular shape is a deliberate design choice to make it easier to handle and stack.

The diameter of the coin is 25.5 millimeters, a size that's both compact and manageable. This size allows for a good balance between being easy to carry and not getting lost in pockets or bags.

The round shape also makes it easier to roll up coins for storage, a practical consideration for those who need to manage large quantities of cash.

The obverse of the British £1 coin has undergone several changes over the years. The first three designs featured the inscription ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. with the year of minting, while the fourth design, introduced in 2015, expanded the inscription to ELIZABETH II DEI.GRA.REG.FID.DEF. 2015.

The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II has been designed by several artists, including Arnold Machin, Raphael Maklouf, Ian Rank-Broadley, and Jody Clark. Each portrait has featured the Queen wearing a different tiara, with the exception of the current design, which features the George IV State Diadem.

Here are the different portraits of Queen Elizabeth II that have appeared on the obverse of the £1 coin, along with the designer and the tiara worn by the Queen:

The current obverse design features a fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, with a holographic image below and the denomination as an incuse micro-legend around the edge.

The reverse of the British £1 coin has undergone several changes over the years, with the first design change occurring in 1983.

The original coin design featured an emblem representing the UK, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, with an appropriate edge inscription that could be upside-down when the obverse is facing upward.

In 2008, the Royal Mint introduced new standard reverse designs for the £1 coin, which featured sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together.

The shield in its entirety was featured on the £1 coin, with the coin's obverse remaining unchanged.

From 2008, national-based designs were still minted, but alongside the new standard version and no longer in strict rotation, with the inscription ONE POUND appearing on all reverse designs.

The round £1 coin, introduced in 1983, had 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.

The new 12-sided, bimetallic pound coin, introduced in March 2017, features a rose, leek, thistle, and shamrock bound by a crown, designed by 15-year-old David Pearce from Walsall.

Here's a list of the reverse designs for the £1 coin:

The United Kingdom's 1 Pound coin has a rich history, and its design features are just as fascinating. The coin was issued by the United Kingdom, including the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

The coin was minted during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, from 1952 to 2022. This period saw significant changes in the country's currency, including the decimalization of the pound sterling in 1971.

The coin's value is 1 Pound, which is equivalent to approximately 1.22 USD. This makes it a valuable addition to any coin collection.

The coin is made of bimetallic material, with a nickel-plated brass center surrounded by a nickel brass ring. This unique composition gives the coin its distinctive look and feel.

Here are the key features of the 1 Pound coin:

The coin's unique shape is a dodecagonal (12-sided) design, which is a distinctive feature of British coins. The milled edge gives the coin a smooth, even texture.

The current standards for coin design are truly impressive. The coin is produced by The Royal Mint using cutting-edge technology developed on its site in South Wales.

The Royal Mint is known for its superb craftsmanship, which is reflected in the coin's design. This attention to detail is evident in the way the coin is made.

The coin features a bold new design that showcases the English rose, the Welsh leek, the Scottish thistle, and the Northern Irish shamrock emerging from one stem within a royal coronet. This design was created by David Pearce, who won a public design competition at the age of 15.

The round £1 coin has been replaced for the first time in over thirty years.

The new coin was introduced on 28 March 2017, replacing the old one.

Approximately one in thirty round £1 coins in circulation was a counterfeit, making it vulnerable to sophisticated counterfeiters.

The UK one pound coin is a widely used and accepted form of currency, but it's essential to understand the legality and security features surrounding it.

The Royal Mint, responsible for producing the coin, implements various security measures to prevent counterfeiting, including a unique combination of bi-metallic and color-changing technology.

In the UK, it's an offense to knowingly use counterfeit currency, with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The coin's intricate design, featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, is also protected by copyright law, making unauthorized reproductions illegal.

For another approach, see: Currency Code of United Kingdom

The new 12-sided £1 coin was introduced on 28 March 2017, and businesses across the UK have upgraded their machines to accept it.

If you have any questions about the new coin, please talk to the equipment owner, as they can provide more information.

The legal tender status of the round £1 coin was withdrawn on 15 October 2017 at 23.59.

From this date, shops and businesses should no longer accept round £1 coins, but you can still take them to your bank or donate them.

Coins of Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar, and the Isle of Man are not legal tender in the United Kingdom.

Current £1 coins are legal tender to any amount, but this status has a very specific meaning that's often misunderstood.

Legal tender status relates only to the repayment of debt to a creditor, not to everyday shopping or other transactions.

A creditor must by law accept coins of particular denominations in redemption of a debt.

This doesn't mean a shopkeeper has to accept a particular type of currency in payment.

Shopkeepers have the discretion to accept any payment type they wish, whether it's legal tender or not.

Counterfeiting is a serious issue, with over $2.8 billion in counterfeit currency being seized by the US Secret Service in 2020 alone.

The majority of counterfeit bills are produced using digital printing technology, which allows for high-quality and realistic forgeries.

In the United States, the Secret Service is responsible for investigating and preventing counterfeiting of US currency, and they have a dedicated team of experts who work to stay one step ahead of counterfeiters.

Counterfeiters often target popular items such as designer handbags and luxury watches, with some fake designer handbags selling for up to 90% less than their authentic counterparts.

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The UK one pound coin has a unique mintage history. Some coins, like the 2016 and 2015 Shield of the Royal Arms fifth portrait, didn't enter circulation, instead being sold through commemorative sets.

These commemorative coins featured the Royal Coat of Arms by Matthew Dent and a design by Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph, of four heraldic beasts.

The UK's one-pound coin has a fascinating history, and it's not just the UK that has its own pound coins. Other territories, like British Crown Dependencies, Gibraltar, and UK South Atlantic Overseas Territories, also issued their own £1 coins.

These coins were not legal tender in the UK, but they were similar in size and composition to UK coins, and often featured the same portraits of the UK monarch. Most people wouldn't have known the difference, but technically, they weren't accepted as payment in the UK.

Gibraltar is an exception, though. They continue to use their own Gibraltarian pound coins as legal tender, alongside the new UK pound coins. The other territories didn't rush to replace their round pound coins, and instead, withdrew them without replacing them.

Some notable facts about these territories' pound coins include: