Guernsey coins with and without a portrait of the monarch

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Younger collectors may not be aware that until 1985 the obverse of Guernsey's coins did not portray the British monarch.

Instead it featured the Guernsey emblem.

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Guernsey, 10 shillings, 1966.

The only exception that I can find to this rule before 1985 was the 10 shillings coin of 1966.

It commemorated the Norman Conquest.

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From 1985, all Guernsey coins portrayed the monarch on the obverse. The Guernsey authorities made this decision deliberately, in order to make Guernsey's coins more attractive to collectors of Commonwealth coins and thereby hopefully also to earn more revenue. A coin new design series was also instituted in 1985 to accompany this change.

A small version of the Guernsey emblem was also included on the obverse of the coins.

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Interestingly, the small Guernsey emblem has never appeared on Guernsey's circulation 2 pound coins.

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See also:

1] Guernsey 10 shillings 1966.

2] Guernsey square 10 shillings, plus alternative design.

[SandyGuyUK]

The only exception that I can find to this rule before 1985 was the 10 shillings coin of 1966. It commemorated the Norman Conquest.

Not sure if you want to consider commemorative crowns (25p) or not?  If so, the 1977 (Silver Jubilee), 1978 (Royal Visit), 1980 (Queen Mother's 80th Birthday) and 1981 (Royal Wedding) editions *did* show the Queen's portrait on the obverse.  Interestingly, the 1972 coin commemorating the Queen's Silver Wedding Anniversary *didn't*.

Go figure as to how they worked out the logic of when to use/not use the portrait! 

[<k>]

Thank you, SandyGuyUK. Yes, I do like to consider the other commemorative coins too. After all, the 10 shilling coin was also a commemorative coin (I doubt that it circulated, though), so my statement was wrong!

Interestingly, on commemorative 2 pound coins, Guernsey included its small emblem on the standard couped Maklouf portrait of the Queen, but not on the uncouped Maklouf portrait.

[SandyGuyUK]

What's also interesting to note on the circulating coins that have been issued since 1985 which show the Queen's portrait AND the shield is that over time, the shield has got smaller!

If you compare the size of the shield on the Maklouf obverse compared to that on the Rank-Broadley version, it's become smaller (and indeed based on your comments with regards to the £2 coin, maybe it's become microscopic!) 

Personally, I don't know what was wrong with retaining the emblem as the sole feature on the obverse as it's quite smart and adds interest to the coins (e.g. people not in the know asking where is that coin from?!). 

[<k>]

Yes, I noticed how the shield got smaller and then disappeared on the 2 pound coins.

I was never keen on the Guernsey emblem - it looked old-fashioned to my eyes. The shield and Queen's portrait look stylish together, I think.

[Alan71]

The emblem does appear on the reverse of the £2 coin though - it's used in the security feature.

[<k>]

The emblem does appear on the reverse of the £2 coin though - it's used in the security feature.

That's true, but it's on the reverse not the obverse, so I think that's cheating. And you more or less have to hallucinate it rather than see it, so faint is it.

But I suppose you're keen to give it a 'get out of jail free' card on that basis.




Guernsey 2 pound latent image.

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Guernsey.  Two 2 pound coins of 1989.

Here you see two different Guernsey collector 2 pound coins from 1989. One shows the couped Maklouf portrait, the other features the uncouped version. It is interesting that the two different versions were used on the same denomination in the same year. Not only that, but the couped version includes the shield, whilst the uncouped version does not. The coin with the uncouped portrait shows the shield on the reverse instead.