After 34 years we welcome the beginning of a new period as the brand-new 12-sided ₤1 coin replaces the familiar 'round pound' coin in our change. While the new ₤1 coin contains the most updated innovation it likewise pays tribute to minting heritage, with a nod to among the most popular coins of the twentieth century.
The 12-sided threepenny coin, or 'thru'penny bit', was a favourite amongst the generations that lived through the Second World War. Part of its appeal was its shape that made it simple to recognise by touch during the darkness of the wartime blackout. In 2017 the generations that grew up with the 'round pound' coin see it transformed, taking on the shape their grandparents knew so well. The more complex shape makes it much harder to strike, and therefore harder to counterfeit, just among the security features that make the brand-new 12-sided ₤1 coin the most safe and secure coin on the planet.
To complement its state of the art innovation, consisting of The Royal Mint's trademarked High Security Feature, the new 12-sided ₤1 coin acknowledges its heritage in its reverse design. Developed by 15-year-old David Pearce, it includes the 4 floral emblems of the areas of the United Kingdom, a popular style on ₤1 coins since their introduction in 1983. The rose, leek, thistle and shamrock emerge from a single stem within a royal coronet.
The 1937 threepenny reverse, by artist Madge Kitchener, includes a thrift, a durable plant discovered on cliffs and mountainsides. The old, smaller sized threepenny coins were understood to be popular with savers and the style includes a play on words-- the idea of 'thrift' which was also a strong wartime message in the 1940s when the economy was suffering.
