The complete set of seven UK coins - from the £1 to the 1p - all featuring their new designs unveiled in 2008, are now available dated 2009. Minted in their familiar alloys to Brilliant Uncirculated standard, the coins are united in a colourful display folder to mark an important milestone in the long and distinguished history of British coinage.
Show/hide further information about this product
All Change
Inspirational new designs for the UK coinage made their debut in 2008. The designs had been chosen from over 4,000 entries in an open competition and, in a bold concept unprecedented in British coinage, six coins unite to reveal a single image - the Royal Arms. Initially there had been no plans for a new reverse for the £1 coin, but in their final deliberations during the selection process, the Royal Mint Advisory Committee felt that the coin should be part of the series and so the £1 coin became the key coin uniting the designs. The result is a daring set of modern coins strongly rooted in tradition yet wonderfully contemporary. The seven companion coins, the new UK definitives, are now united in a limited-edition coin set of 2009.
The Royal Arms
The Royal Arms have featured on the coinage of every monarch since the reign of Edward III (1327-77). Coins have reflected the eminence of the reigning monarch ever since commanding respect both at home and abroad. Explaining his choice of the Royal Arms for the new coinage, therefore, artist Matthew Dent could point out that 'heraldry has been the basis of coinage design in Britain for hundreds of years'.
The Royal Arms of the present reign has remained virtually unchanged since the reign of Queen Victoria: the shield is quartered with 'England', 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.