UK trial decimal coins of 1961

[<k>]

All the trials seen together.

Here I have pieced together the images to show the whole set. The individual pattern coins are not shown to scale, however.

Interestingly, the 1 cent coin was dually denominated as one decimal penny. None of the other coins was dually denominated.

I do not recognise the design on the 2 cents coin. Does anybody know where it comes from?

Has anybody read a more detailed description of the story behind these pieces?

Numista's description of the set.

Struck by the Royal Mint, London. The decimal pattern coins dated 1961 utilised comparable sterling obverse equivalents, while some of the reverses employed old punches drawn from the Mint collection. These punches included George De Saulles' standing Britannia, William Wyon's Una and the lion and the same artist's lion on crown motif, originally engraved for the final issue of shillings and sixpences of George IV.

[SandyGuyUK]

I do not recognise the design on the 2 cents coin.

Does anybody know where it comes from?

Has anybody read a more detailed description of the story behind these pieces?

With regards to the 2c coin design, it looks suspiciously like it was based on an 1841 pattern two pound coin that the Royal Mint show on their museum website:

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/collection/coins/1841-uniface-two-pound-coin/

I've never seen the design anywhere else so am unsure where *that* came from originally but hopefully this sheds some light on things?

Ian

[<k>]

Thank you, Sherlock! Well spotted.

[<k>]

A cased set of the trials.

See: UK 1961 trial set cased.

[Alan71]

Something seems amiss here.

The 50c is given as weighing 7.5 g, with a diameter of 26 mm.

The 20c is said to weigh 11.39 g, with a diameter of 28.5 mm.

In the photo of the set, the 50c looks bigger than the 20c?

[<k>]

That looks right. Maybe Numista accidentally confused the two coins and their specifications?

[Alan71]

Unlikely.  The specs of the 20c match those of the florin/Two Shillings/old 10p (similar to the 5c and 10c which respectively match the specs of the sixpence and shilling/old 5p).