UK decimal scrapbook: forgotten competition designs

[Galapagos]

Competition entries.

In the 1960s the Royal Mint held a competition for the designs of decimal coinage to come.

Here are some of the entries they received from the public.

They are from a collage illustrated in the Bank of England booklet, "All Change".

[Figleaf]

Some great ideas there, like the ten fingers for the 10 new pence and the Tower bridge halfpenny. The "industrial look" 5 pence is promising too.

Have you ever noticed that on the post war Dutch 2-1/2 gulden pieces there is no bar between the 1 and the 2 in the denomination? Exactly. The eye creates the bar where it isn't. That might have been a good solution for the Tower bridge design. I like it better than what was eventually used.

Peter

[Galapagos]

I see your point about the half penny and the "bar" - never occurred to me till you mentioned it. The designs we did get were not great - but since the 2008 heraldry designs, which manage to be both reactionary and overdesigned, I now look on Ironside's designs more sympathetically.