UK: Designs for new Pound Coins

[augsburger]

Competition over, can get back to real life. It was fun, I've done maybe three or four designs I'd be happy to see on a coin, and quite a few more that weren't that great but the idea perhaps had more potential than I could actually put into a design or had the patience for.

Clearly can't put any good designs up as they're in the competition, and the bad ones, well.... Also had some that would never meet the requirements, usually for copyright reasons. I probably put in like 40 or more designs, though with a few with different variations of a similar design.

I figure there's a 270 times less chance of winning this one than the Olympic design competition. But it'll be interesting to see the new coin and hopefully with a really nice design.

[Figleaf]

Wish you good luck, augsburger. Hope you had some fun and that it wasn't just work.

Peter

[augsburger]

It's great to be able to get into something and have fun with it all, but having that deadline to make you get it done. It took me a while to get used to using computer packages but in the end I got used to using them, and they make things a lot easier in the end, changing designs and so on.

[RabensteinK]

For what it's worth, my own submissions featured:
(1) a 21st century version of the medieval Groat based on those of Henry VII and VIII - which in its day fulfilled a similar role to the pound today;
(2) a Union Jack background on the ring with a retained £1 Royal Shield (and hence the option to reuse previous annual constituent nations editions in later years) on the pill;
(3) Parliaments and Assemblies of the UK - sadly I was refused permission to use their emblems, so had to go for the physical buildings instead, with or without the Westminster portcullis (that's also on the old thrupenny and penny);
(4) the complete series of Dent's pence coins making up the Shield with a modernised "crossword" ONE POUND logo design;
(5) British Justice, with a quote from the Magna Carta - virtually certain to be the subject of commemorative coins next year - as well as the emblem of the Supreme Court and Lady Justice from the Old Bailey;
(6) Elizabethan Drama, with quotes from Shakespeare, Jonson, Marlowe, Kyd, Webster, Dekker and Middleton as well as a picture of the Swan theatre; and
(7) a combination of (3) with a partial version of the Shield on the ring.

Let's hear others' ideas/designs? We have to while away the time over the winter months while the committee laboriously works through its submissions pile somehow ...

[RabensteinK]

Am full of admiration, as always, for both Frizio's elegant designs and his enthusiasm. We need more of that. I do hope he has submitted to the competition.

[annovi.frizio]

Thank you very much.

[Pabitra]

Nice designs, Annovi.

However, kindly note

1. The new design was necessitated by too many counterfeits.

2. security in coins is composed of machine and human readable/ recognisable features which are difficult to counterfeit since they need to have economies of scale.

3. Currently most popular feature which is recognisable by human eye is latent image which you can see on Canadian Dollars as well as on coins of Libya, Syria etc.

None of your designs includes latent image hence may cause you disappointment unless selection committee decides to select a design and add this feature.

Just my thought.

[augsburger]

Latent images are hard to get down on a paper design, so I think most designs will not have this at all. Those who are invited and can make their own models might have an advantage, but still I'm not sure if they'd get this on the model looking well.

I think if they really want latent images they'll work with the short listed designers, or they'd have put something in the competition, so I really don't think it'll be a problem.

[augsburger]

Interestingly this medal was on the Royal Mint's facebook page today.

[annovi.frizio]

what means ?   

[Figleaf]

Immagine latente, che dipende dall'angolo della luce.

Peter

[augsburger]

The actual design is described here:

"Some great guesses! A. It is the specially minted 2014 Premium Medal! Only available with the Premium Proof Set, this medal showcases cutting edge security techniques and a beautiful, intricate design based on the armour of King Henry VIII's horse"

and what someone said about it: "Ian Laming I have to agree with Sue - I so do not like that. It has to be one of the ugliest medals ever minted by the Royal Mint. It looks like something a five year old has drawn."

If I were 5 and could draw like that I'd be pretty happy. Whether it works as a medal is a different matter. I think the latent image is just stuck in the middle and doesn't make sense with the actual design of the medal. But it's a trial piece I guess.

[andyg]

"Some great guesses! A. It is the specially minted 2014 Premium Medal! Only available with the Premium Proof Set

I read "sales are down quite a bit since we doubled the price of the proof sets - we don't want to admit we were wrong and that we actually made more money when they were cheaper - so what can we do to make it look like the customer gets more for their money than they used to....?"

[augsburger]

But then how much is such a medal going to actually be worth?

I stopped buying the cheapest set because I didn't think it was worth the money. I've stopped buying 5 pound coins. I actually don't buy anything from them any more. Do I want a medal? No. I'm a coin collector.

[augsburger]

The design has been chosen. Here's one of my designs using the flowers of each of the four parts.