UK: George V to George VI design continuity

[Offa]

I've seen a picture somewhere of an Edward VII pattern or trial shilling with a fish on it - a bit like a large zeppelin. I'll see if I can find it again.

Sturgeon

[andyg]

King Edward VIII also wanted new reverse designs for his coinage.

Percy Metcalfe produced an unadopted design of a seagull for the shilling.

How did we end up rejecting these different designs - and keeping the same shilling, with an additional uninspiring design for the Scots Shilling?

[<k>]

How did we end up rejecting these different designs - and keeping the same shilling, with an additional uninspiring design for the Scots Shilling?

As the project progressed, there was much discussion as to what constituted "modern".

Should the themes be modern? Or was the style to be modern?

If so, how modern? Should even cubist designs be considered?


A split developed between the modernists and the traditionalists.

Eventually the King became nervous as to whether the public would accept too much novelty.


Ultimately only three of the lowest denominations were modernised.

The higher denominations retained more conservative designs.


I understand that Graham Dyer of the Royal Mint is writing an expanded version of his 1972 booklet on this subject.

I do not know when it is due to be published.

[FosseWay]

Regarding the penny, (English) shilling and half-crown, the difference that has always struck me the most in these otherwise similar pieces is the font. It is a serif style on George V's pieces and an "almost sans-serif" on George VI's. 

For me, this difference is more immediately eye-catching than the lighthouse or the roses; it's interesting to note what different people see first.

[<k>]

I hadn't consciously noticed the font. I understand that you're an editor by profession, so no doubt that's why the layout stands out for you. I was always interested in language and pictorial design but didn't think about fonts until I went into computing and learnt to design screen layouts when desktop computers came along.