UK text-heavy 50 pence and 2 pound designs

[<k>]

In recent years we have had a greater number of UK special designs that are mainly text only with some added decoration. However, there are also representational and/or symbolic designs, where the text uses much more space than usual. Not only that, it appears in unusual places on the field and often at unusual angles.

Below you see some examples. I think these are the work of different artists, so it is not the result of a single person's style. Perhaps it has been mandated from above?

What do you think of this development? Is it welcome? Or do you prefer designs where the text is less intrusive and/or more traditional in style?

[FosseWay]

I'm in two minds. I think using loads of text "just like that" can be a lazy short cut. The Sherlock Holmes piece comes across a bit like that to me. It's kind of the textual equivalent of the "clip art" animals on the WWF coin. On the other hand, the original text-based 50p, the Johnson dictionary one, I like because of its creative use of the period font to express the information that needs to be on the coin anyway.

[chrisild]

The top center and top right coins are not in the same "category", I think. While the Holmes piece has (too) much text indeed, the coin that commemorates the Battle of Britain says just that, plus the year. Makes sense to me.

If the 50p was a round coin, I would prefer some of the text to be along the rim. Say, "The Battle of Britain" in a half-circle at the top, with the planes below. But a "round" inscription does not work well with that shape, see the Holmes piece. Oh, and the Hawking coin I find cool. Whether that formula had to be included ... don't know, I do not understand it anyway.

Christian

[eurocoin]

In my opinion text has a subordinate role and should not be part of the design or be at the center of it.

Oh, and the Hawking coin I find cool.

Her Majesty the Queen finds it a very cool coin too. It is her favourite coin issued so far this year. Personally I find it very ugly because of the text.

[FosseWay]

The top center and top right coins are not in the same "category", I think. While the Holmes piece has (too) much text indeed, the coin that commemorates the Battle of Britain says just that, plus the year. Makes sense to me.

Yes, I see that too. The same applies to all the others in fact, apart from the Sherlock Holmes one and (I suppose) the formula on the Hawking one. In other words, the text is simply a statement of what is being commemorated and not in itself an artistic representation of what is commemorated, IYSWIM.

But I think there has been another development in recent years that means that even this "necessary" text has become more conspicuous. Older commemoratives often do without any text (other than the denomination), leaving the artwork itself to explain what is being commemorated. This is true of, say, the 1994 D-Day coin and the first of them all, the 1973 EEC 50p, which not only has no text but also has a very figurative rather than literal design.

I wonder whether the Royal Mint feels that it has to state explicitly on the coin what is being commemorated nowadays. This might be because the rest of the artwork is less imaginative and less capable of presenting the required information by itself. Or it might be that there is a general movement towards being (over-)obvious "just in case" someone doesn't "get it".

[<k>]

On the other hand, the original text-based 50p, the Johnson dictionary one, I like because of its creative use of the period font to express the information that needs to be on the coin anyway.

I'm very fond of that design too. However, it has no pictorial elements, so it's text-only and not text-heavy and therefore, in my categorisation, doesn't fit into this topic.

[<k>]

I wonder whether the Royal Mint feels that it has to state explicitly on the coin what is being commemorated nowadays. This might be because the rest of the artwork is less imaginative and less capable of presenting the required information by itself. Or it might be that there is a general movement towards being (over-)obvious "just in case" someone doesn't "get it".

Then again, maybe the Royal Mint feels it has to innovate, to make the designs look fresh and different from what has gone before, and this is one way of doing it.

[brandm24]

The Stephen Hawking design is wonderful and has a bold 3-D look to it. Almost makes me want to step back and hold onto to something so I don't get sucked in.

While I like the Sherlock Holmes portrait, the excessive text is distracting. I generally favor less text preferring the other elements of the design to "speak" for itself. On older US coins the designs usually showed a representation of "Liberty" and a prominent portrait of an eagle with little text, even a denomination, to distract. These old federal issues are my favorite of all.

Though not a collector of these special coins, or US issues either, I think the Royal Mint designs are generally superior.

Bruce

[Deeman]

I think changes in design approach commenced with the 2013 Benjamin Britten issue. I don't like this design – it's too cluttered.

A simple silhouette of Sherlock Holmes would have sufficed (albeit not too imaginative) without the unnecessary text.

Perhaps RM feel that the modern generation are not sufficiently educated to understand a design without accompanying text.

[FosseWay]

Perhaps RM feel that the modern generation are not sufficiently educated to understand a design without accompanying text.

This is more or less what I was getting at earlier, though it's more ability to think laterally than education per se that may be seen to be a problem.

[chrisild]

Sometimes a little text can be quite helpful.   Here is a new collector coin which commemorates ... what?

Yes, I realize it is not a UK piece. (Image removed; see <k>'s reply for pix ...)

Christian

[Deeman]

Sometimes a little text can be quite helpful.   Here is a new collector coin which commemorates ... what?

Obviously pays tribute to the Finnish Constitution Act of 1919, capturing the essence of democracy through the votes cast by citizens on the coin's obverse, while the three partly fused circles on the reverse depict the separation of powers.

Wouldn't this be clear to anybody? Very bizarre!

[<k>]

It's instructive to have a non-UK piece for comparison. Since you are going to remove it, I'll park a reasonably-sized image here.

Certainly it's too abstract and minimalist. No wonder countries want to leave the EU. 

[brandm24]

Sometimes a little text can be quite helpful.   Here is a new collector coin which commemorates ... what?

(Yes, I realize it is not a UK piece. Will remove it later.)

Christian

Well, I was thinking along the lines of something champagne related. I've come to my senses though...Deeman has set me straight.

Bruce

[chrisild]

Obviously pays tribute to the Finnish Constitution Act of 1919, capturing the essence of democracy through the votes cast by citizens on the coin's obverse, while the three partly fused circles on the reverse depict the separation of powers.

Christian