The Inspiration

As a powerful symbol of royal authority the Royal Arms, in its various forms, has featured on the coinage of almost every monarch since the reign of Edward III (1327-77). Coins were, and still are, issued under the personal authority of the monarch and came to be regarded as vehicles for royal imagery, whether in the form of a portrait or a monarch’s personal Coat of Arms. 

Virtually unchanged since the reign of Queen Victoria, the Royal Arms is a symbol of the Queen’s authority over the whole of the United Kingdom, and has been used to powerful effect by numismatic artists over the course of her reign. The modern £1 coin of 1983 appropriately bore the Royal Arms on its reverse, the detailed depiction by Eric Sewell now a famous symbol of British currency. This was followed in 1988 with a £1 reverse design by Derek Gorringe depicting a crowned shield of the Royal Arms, reminiscent of the early sovereigns of Queen Victoria.

It is not surprising then that Matthew Dent chose the Royal Arms, and in particular the shield of the Royal Arms, as the theme for his innovative range of new designs. The Royal Arms is divided into four parts: England being represented by the three lions passant guardant in the first and fourth quarters, the Scottish lion rampant in the second and the harp of Ireland in the third, with all four quarters spread over the six coins from the 1p to the 50p. Completing the new range of coins is the £1 coin featuring the shield of the Royal Arms in its entirety, uniting the six fragmented elements into one design.