Royal Mint has revealed the new £1 coin design created by a teenager, David Pearce, a pupil at Queen Mary's Grammar School in Walsall. The winning design for the new £1 coin selected from 6,000 participants who participated in the public design competition launched in September 2014.
The new £1 coin design has been revealed by The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt. Hon George Osborne. David Pearce’s design has been refined for use on the final coin with the support of the renowned numismatic artist David Lawrence and lettering expert Stephen Raw.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said:
“Designing the new £1 coin was a brilliant opportunity to leave a lasting legacy on what will be the most secure coin in circulation anywhere.”
“The competition captured the imagination of thousands of people and David Pearce’s winning design will be recognised by millions in the years ahead. It was fantastic to congratulate him and other young entrants in person in Downing Street.”
The new £1 coin will have 12 sides to help fight counterfeiters and it will be the most secure coin in the world. The new coins are made from two different metals and embedded anti-counterfeiting technology –adapted from banknotes for the first time – making it extremely difficult to replicate.
The final design features four emblems to represent each of the nations of the United Kingdom – the English rose, the leek for Wales, the Scottish thistle, and the shamrock for Northern Ireland – emerging from a single stem within a crown.
New £1 coin design winner David Pearce said:
“I was really excited to hear that I had won the competition to design the new £1 coin but hugely shocked as well! I heard about the competition through my design teacher at school and I thought I had nothing to lose so I decided to enter. I spent a lot of time researching what coin designs looked like and what sort of designs would represent all parts of the UK before submitting my idea and I honestly cannot believe I have won.”
Adam Lawrence, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint, said:
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to support Her Majesty’s Treasury in modernising the iconic £1 coin and helping to re-define the world of coinage. Made from two different metals and including ground-breaking technology developed at The Royal Mint, this new 12-sided coin will be the most secure circulating coin in the world.
“As an organisation we have been established for over one thousand years but we are constantly looking to the future, so it’s fantastic to see the work of a talented young artist like David Pearce being replicated on a coin, that will be used by millions of people in Britain and recognised world-wide for years to come”.
The new £1 coin will enter circulation during 2017.
Source: Royal Mint
