One pound (British coin)

This article is about the British one pound coin issued since 1983. For other coins worth one pound or other currencies called "pound", see £1.

One pound

United Kingdom
Value	1 pound sterling
Mass	9.5 g
Diameter	22.5 mm
Thickness	3.15 mm
Edge	Milled, with incuse lettering
Composition	Nickel-brass (70% Cu, 24.5% Zn, and 5.5% Ni)
Obverse
File:British one pound coin 2015 obverse.png
Design	Queen Elizabeth II
Designer	Ian Rank-Broadley
Design date	1998
Reverse
File:British one pound coin 2015 reverse.png
Design	Royal Shield
Designer	Matthew Dent
Design date	2008

The British one pound (£1) coin is a denomination of the pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction on 9 February 1983. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The current standard reverse, featuring the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008. In addition to the standard reverse one or two new designs are minted each year.

The coin was introduced on 9 February 1983 to replace the Bank of England one pound note which ceased to be issued at the end of 1984 and was removed from circulation on 11 March 1988, though still redeemable at the Bank's offices, like all English banknotes. One-pound notes continue to be issued in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and by the Royal Bank of Scotland, but the pound coin is much more widely used.

As of March 2014 there were an estimated 1,553 million £1 coins in circulation with an estimated face value of £1,552.876 million. The Royal Mint estimates that 3.04% are counterfeit.

The final 'round coins' were minted in December 2015 with its replacement, a new 12-sided design, to be introduced in 2017. The coin is to be of a similar 12-sided shape to the pre-decimal brass threepence coin, have roughly the same size as the current £1 coin and will be bi-metallic like the current £2 coin. The new design is intended to make counterfeiting more difficult, also via an undisclosed hidden security feature.

Design

To date, three different obverses have been used. In all cases, the inscription is ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. 2013, where 2013 is replaced by the year of minting. A fourth design was unveiled in March 2015.

In summary;

• In 1983 and 1984 the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin appeared on the obverse, in which the Queen wears the 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara.
• Between 1985 and 1997 the portrait by Raphael Maklouf was used, in which the Queen wears the George IV State Diadem.
• Since 1998 the portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley has been used, again featuring the tiara, with a signature-mark IRB below the portrait.
• From 2015 a portrait by Jody Clark was introduced, in which the Queen wears the George IV State Diadem, with a signature-mark JC below the portrait.

In August 2005 the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins apart from the £2 coin. The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from mid-2008. The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety is featured on the £1 coin. The coin's obverse remains unchanged.

The design of the reverse of the coin was changed each year from 1983 through 2008 to show, in turn, an emblem representing the UK, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, together with an appropriate edge inscription. Since 2008, national-based designs have still been minted, but alongside the new standard version, and no longer in strict rotation. The inscription ONE POUND appears on all reverse designs.

In common with non-commemorative £2 coins, the £1 coin (except 2004–07 and the 2010–11 'capital cities' designs) has a mint mark: a small crosslet found on the milled edge that represents Llantrisant in South Wales, where the Royal Mint has been based since 1968.

The reverse of the new 12-sided pound coin, to be introduced in 2017, was chosen via a public design competition. The competition to design the reverse of the 12-sided, bi-metallic coin was opened in September 2014. It was won in March 2015 by 15-year-old David Pearce from Walsall, and unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne during his budget announcement. The design features a rose, leek, thistle and shamrock bound by a crown.

Year	Design	Nation represented	Edge inscription	Translation	Mintage
1982	Dragon passant	Wales	PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD	True am I to my country	100
1983	Ornamental royal arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	443,053,510
1984	Thistle sprig in a coronet	Scotland	NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT	No one attacks me with impunity	146,256,501
1985	Leek in a coronet	Wales	PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD	True am I to my country	228,430,749
1986	Flax in a coronet	Northern Ireland	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	10,409,501
1987	Oak tree in a coronet	England	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	39,298,502
1988	Crown over the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	7,118,825
1989	Thistle sprig in a coronet	Scotland	NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT	No one attacks me with impunity	70,580,501
1990	Leek in a coronet	Wales	PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD	True am I to my country	97,269,302
1991	Flax in a coronet	Northern Ireland	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	38,443,575
1992	Oak tree in a coronet	England	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	36,320,487
1993	Ornamental royal arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	114,744,500
1994	Lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory	Scotland	NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT	No one attacks me with impunity	29,752,525
1995	Dragon passant	Wales	PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD	True am I to my country	34,503,501
1996	Celtic cross, Broighter collar and pimpernel	Northern Ireland	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	89,886,000
1997	Three lions passant guardant	England	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	57,117,450
1998	Ornamental royal arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	not circulated
1999	Lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory	Scotland	NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT	No one attacks me with impunity	not circulated
2000	Dragon passant	Wales	PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD	True am I to my country	109,496,500
2001	Celtic cross, Broighter collar and pimpernel	Northern Ireland	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	63,968,065
2002	Three lions passant guardant	England	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	77,818,000
2003	Ornamental royal arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	61,596,500
2004	Forth Bridge	Scotland	Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular	N/A	39,162,000
2005	Menai Suspension Bridge	Wales	Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular	N/A	99,429,500
2006	MacNeill's Egyptian Arch at Newry	Northern Ireland	Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular	N/A	38,938,000
2007	Gateshead Millennium Bridge	England	Two overlapping lines, one curved and one angular	N/A	26,180,160
2008	Ornamental royal arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	3,910,000
2008	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	43,827,300
2009	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	27,625,600
2010	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	57,120,000
2010	Coat of arms of the City of London	England	DOMINE DIRIGE NOS	Lord, guide us	2,635,000
2010	Coat of arms of Belfast	Northern Ireland	PRO TANTO QUID RETRIBUAMUS	For so much, what shall we give in return?	6,205,000
2011	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	25,415,000
2011	Coat of arms of Cardiff	Wales	Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN	The red dragon rears up	1,615,000
2011	Coat of arms of Edinburgh	Scotland	NISI DOMINUS FRUSTRA	In vain without the Lord	935,000
2012	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	35,700,030
2013	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	13,090,500
2013	Oak and rose	England	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	5,270,000
2013	Leek and daffodil	Wales	PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD	True am I to my country	5,270,000
2014	Shamrock and flax plant	Northern Ireland	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	5,780,000
2014	Thistle and bluebell	Scotland	NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT	No one attacks me with impunity	5,185,000
2014	The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	79,305,200
2015	Royal arms	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	–
2016	The last "round pound"	United Kingdom	DECUS ET TUTAMEN	An ornament and a safeguard	-

All years except 1998 and 1999 have been issued into circulation, although the number issued has varied enormously – 1983 and 1984 in particular had large mintages to facilitate the changeover from paper notes, while some years such as 1986 and 1988 are only rarely seen (although 1988 is more noticeable as it has a unique reverse). Production since 1997 has been reduced, thanks to the introduction of the circulating two pound coin.

Counterfeiting

Royal Mint surveys estimate the proportion of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation. This was estimated at 3.04% in 2013, a rise from 2.74%. The figure previously announced in 2012 was 2.86%, following the prolonged rise from 0.92% in 2002–2003 to 0.98% in 2004, 1.26% in 2005, 1.69% in 2006, 2.06% in 2007, 2.58% in 2008, 2.65% in 2009, 3.07% in 2010 and 3.09% in 2011. Figures have generally been reported in the following year; in 2008 (as reported in 2009), the highest levels of counterfeits were in Northern Ireland (3.6%) and the South East and London (2.97%), with the lowest being in Northwest England. Coin testing companies estimated in 2009 that the actual figure was about twice the Mint's estimate, suggesting that the Mint was underplaying the figures so as not to undermine confidence in the coin. It is illegal to pass on counterfeit currency knowingly; the official advice is to hand it in, with details of where received, to the police, who will retain it and investigate. One article suggested "given that fake coins are worthless, you will almost certainly be better off not even looking". The recipient has recourse against the supplier, as in any such case.

Counterfeits are put into circulation by dishonest people, then circulated inadvertently by others who are unaware; in many cases banks do not check, and circulate counterfeits. A 2011 BBC television programme withdrew 1,000 £1 coins from each of five major banks and found that each batch contained between 32 and 38 counterfeits; the Mint estimated that about 31 per 1,000 £1 coins were counterfeit. Some of the counterfeits were found by automated machinery, others could be detected only by expert visual inspection.

In July 2010, following speculation that the Royal Mint would have to consider replacing £1 coins with a new design because of the fakes, bookmakers Paddy Power offered odds of 6/4 (bet £4 to win £6, plus the £4 stake back; decimal odds of 2.5), that the £1 coin would be removed from circulation.

File:Stirlingfakeandreal.jpg

Real and fake pound coin, showing poor-quality edge inscription and milling

Some counterfeits are of poor quality, with obviously visible differences (less sharply defined, lacking intricate details, edge milling and markings visibly wrong). Many better counterfeits can be detected by comparing the orientation of the obverse and reverse—they always match in genuine coins, but very often not in counterfeits. The design on the reverse must be correct for the stamped year (e.g., a 1996 coin should have a Celtic cross). It is difficult to manufacture coins with properly-produced edges; the milling (grooves) may be incomplete or poor and the inscription (often "DECUS ET TUTAMEN") may be poorly produced and sometimes in the wrong typeface. A shiny coin with less wear than its date suggests is also suspect, although it may be a genuine coin that has rarely been used.

Counterfeit coins are made by different processes including casting, stamping, electrotyping, and copying with a pantograph or spark erosion. In a 2009 survey, 99% of fake £1 coins found in cash centres were made of a nickel-brass, of which three fifths contained some lead and a fifth were of a very similar alloy to that used by the Royal Mint. The remaining 1% were made of simple copper-zinc brass, or lead or tin, or both. Those made of lead or tin may have a gold-coloured coating; counterfeits made of acrylic plastic containing metal powder to increase weight have occasionally been found.

Current two-pound coins are made from two metals of different colour, and are much harder to counterfeit; counterfeited coins are often easily seen to be the wrong colour.

Other pound coins in circulation

Also legally circulating but not legal tender in the UK, are some £1 coins of British Crown Dependencies, Gibraltar and UK South Atlantic Overseas Territories, being of the same size and composition as their UK equivalent and mostly bearing the same portraits of the UK monarch (as with most other coins of the same territories).

Further reading

In an April 1993 The New Yorker article 'Real Britannia', Julian Barnes describes the meetings to choose the 1994–1997 reverse designs. This is reprinted in his book Letters from London as 'Britannia's New Bra Size'.

See also

• Banknotes of the pound sterling
• Coin counterfeiting
• Coins of the pound sterling

References

• Coincraft's Standard Catalogue English & UK Coins 1066 to Date, Richard Lobel, Coincraft. ISBN 0-9526228-8-2

External links

• Royal Mint – £1 coin