Guernsey - sketches showing alternative designs without "NEW"

Started by <k>, December 26, 2018, 01:39:41 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

<k>

Guernsey - Hart to Sewell-1.jpg


In October 1976 the Guernsey Treasury contacted the Royal Mint.

It explained that it wished to drop the redundant word from its coinage.

The "NEW" referring to NEW PENCE, meaning decimal pence.

J Hart, a Royal Mint employee, wrote to Eric Sewell, a Royal Mint sculptor.

He asked Mr Sewell to make some preliminary sketches.

Eric Sewell later produced the reverse design for the 1983 UK round pound.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Guernsey NEW pence.jpg

This is how the Guernsey coins looked at that time.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Guernsey - Sewell to Hart.jpg

Here is Mr Sewell's reply to Mr Hart.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Guernsey 5p alternative.jpg Guernsey 50p alternative.jpg


Sketches of Mr Sewell's 5 pence and 50 pence alternatives.

They were not ultimately adopted.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Guernsey alternatives.jpg

Here Mr Sewell shows the 1 penny and 10 pence coin with and without denominational numerals.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Guernsey - Hart to Sewell-2.jpg

In a later memo, Mr Hart informs Mr Sewell that the Guernsey Treasury prefers the versions that retain the numerals.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Guernsey sketches.jpg

Here is the sketch that Mr Sewell provided, showing the Guernsey coin set with numerals and without "NEW".
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

So, which versions do YOU prefer? With numerals - or without?
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

Figleaf

That's two questions in one:
a) do you like the design as far as the denomination is concerned?
b) should coins have their denomination in figures, numerals or both?

My personal opinion is that the design solution is fair enough, balanced enough - I would have preferred a smaller font for the halfpenny to make the design less crowded - and clear enough, but neither creative nor remarkable. Wishy-washy, but acceptable.

However, in an era when you can be in any other country in less than 24 hours and you can travel from any European country to any other European country in three hours at most and Guernsey's most important economic sector is tourism, it is dorky to expect all comers to speak English. A denomination in numbers is a must, a denomination in letters is irrelevant.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

<k>

Quote from: Figleaf on December 27, 2018, 01:02:08 AM
Guernsey's most important economic sector is tourism

I would have thought banking - with all that that implies!
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.