Coin Design

A variety of coins illustrating different designs

For the greater part of the last 100 years United Kingdom coin designs have been obtained by competition, generally restricted to freelance artists and Royal Mint engravers, but occasionally thrown open to the general public.

To proceed by way of open competition necessarily requires some mechanism for judging the entries and since 1922 designs received from artists have been examined by an independent body known as the Royal Mint Advisory Committee. From those submitted the Committee recommends designs to the Chancellor of the Exchequer who then seeks formal approval from Her Majesty.

Obverse Designs

British coins have traditionally been minted with a portrait of the monarch on the obverse, or heads side of the coin. From the reign of Charles II (1660-1685) all coins of the realm have displayed the monarch's portrait and this tradition is still followed.

In accordance with tradition dating back to the seventeenth century by which successive monarchs face in opposite directions, the portrait of Her Majesty the Queen on the obverse of current United Kingdom coins faces to the right. There have been four different coinage portraits of Her Majesty the Queen.