1953 - The First Portrait by Mary Gillick

In 1952, sculptor Mary Gillick was one of 17 artists invited to compete in a Royal Mint Advisory Committee competition to design the first coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Working from an unusual studio in a chapel in Chelsea, Gillick specialised in bas-relief, the art of sculpting in exceptionally shallow depth. Referencing photographer Dorothy Wilding’s photographs of the young Queen, Gillick won with a strikingly fresh portrait, replacing the traditional crown with a classical laurel wreath.

Below is an excerpt from The Daily Telegraph issued on 26 November 1952. 

'In the process of refining her submission ready for striking, she was guided by the RMAC, which included The Duke of Edinburgh as President, who visited Gillick’s studio during the process. The length of The Queen’s neck was queried although Humphrey Paget, the creator of the coinage portrait of George VI – Her Majesty’s father – and a runner up in the competition to create Her Majesty’s portrait, is quoted as confirming that, ‘… oddly enough the designer is quite right. I took measurements. The Queen has a long neck.’ The Telegraph also commented that The Duke of Edinburgh had made his own suggestions, perhaps on one of his visits, claiming that ‘The Duke of Edinburgh gave her advice. It was about that neck again. The Duke found no fault with the length, but disapproved of the curve.’

Upon its release, the design attracted both criticism and celebration – some deemed it too youthful and others favoured Gillick’s approach.

1968 - The Second Portrait by Arnold Machin RA

With decimalisation approaching, a new coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II would help the public distinguish the new coins from the old. Several artists competed for the commission, including sculptor Arnold Machin RA, part of a Royal Academy team, who ultimately won.

Machin was determined to: “… produce a design with charm and dignity and yet without sentimentality. To create an illusion of strong relief, thereby counteracting the stringent limits of the actual projection essential in coin production. To attempt to recapture something of the richness and vitality of the earlier coins which has not seemed possible with the limiting techniques of modern mass production.”

The Queen sat for Machin four times as he developed sketches and clay models, with The Duke of Edinburgh taking a keen interest. Recalling an amusing exchange shared by fellow artist Peter Greenham, Machin revealed: “[Greenham] told me later that The Queen had chatted to him about me. She said, ‘The Duke came in to look at my model and commented that the chin wanted to be stronger and needed more clay, which Mr Machin did – but as soon as the Duke left he took it off again!’”

1985 - The Third Portrait by Raphael Maklouf

In 1985, sculptor Raphael Maklouf was invited by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC) to compete to design a new coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Unimpressed by the official photograph supplied to artists, Maklouf recalled a chance encounter with The Queen:

“By coincidence, I was invited at that time to one of the royal garden parties and, having been introduced to Her Majesty, I remarked to her that I was working from a less than satisfactory photograph. She responded by saying that she would tell Lord Snowdon.”

Maklouf’s design won the competition, earning him two live sittings with The Queen. Preferring to sculpt directly in clay rather than rely on photographs or sketches, he worked with remarkable speed:

“Her Majesty exclaimed that I took less time to complete the portrait in front of her eyes than it sometimes took photographers to get the ‘right lighting and take the photographs.’”

The finished portrait was elegant and stylised, drawing criticism from some for depicting The Queen as ‘flatteringly young’. Maklouf firmly defended his artistic vision, insisting his intention ‘… which was to sculpt a symbol and not just a photographic image’, had been misunderstood.

1998 - The Fourth Portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS

How do you capture a monarch’s likeness in the shallow relief of a coin? For acclaimed sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, the answer lay in realism, precision and a refusal to flatter. Inspired by Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci and renowned for his own low-relief sculptures, Rank-Broadley was invited in 1996 to compete to create a new coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Unimpressed by the supplied photographs, Rank-Broadley was determined to portray The Queen realistically, reflecting her age rather than idealising her appearance:

“Age is no respecter of persons, royal or otherwise, and although I was aware that my work might attract criticism, I felt that it was essential to the integrity of the project for the portrait to be a recognisable one, and not over-idealised.” 

Ian Rank-Broadley Rank-Broadley submitted three designs to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC), with his bold, larger portrait intended to make the most of the limited space on smaller coins. Following shortlisting, refinements included adjusting the inscription and tackling a surprisingly complex challenge – introducing a subtle smile:

"It was more difficult to introduce a smile because the complex relationship of facial muscles do not allow one to indicate a particular expression without changing the surrounding features, and thus in a subtle way changing the whole look of the face. Eventually after minutely readjusting the many elements I submitted the revised model that was then developed into a trial piece.”

After months of painstaking work to overcome the technical challenges of low-relief coinage, his winning portrait entered circulation in early 1998. The result was a strikingly honest likeness of a monarch who, in the sculptor’s words, ‘… needed no flattery’.

"For myself, I hope that in time I may be regarded as having made a valuable contribution to the rich and varied history of coinage in this country. When I see my initials IRB beneath the royal effigy on the coins as a record of my achievement, I feel honoured.”

2015 - The Fifth Portrait by Jody Clark

For the first time in more than a century, a Royal Mint designer was chosen to create the definitive coinage portrait of a British monarch. In 2015, Jody Clark won a Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC) competition to design a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first Royal Mint artist to achieve the honour since George William de Saulles in 1902.

The competition was held anonymously, with each design judged on its own merits. Clark’s winning portrait, approved by HM Treasury and The Queen herself, depicted the monarch wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem. To develop his design, Clark looked beyond the official reference photographs for inspiration:

“Everyone who entered the competition was supplied with the same reference material, showing The Queen facing different ways and in a number of different angles. I also did quite a lot of research online to find more natural, unposed images of her. I looked at the designs of the previous effigies and I wanted my design to work as part of that set as well as to work on its own.” 

Entering circulation in 2015, Clark’s portrait became the fifth and final definitive coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, bringing a remarkable numismatic legacy to a close.

2022 - The Platinum Jubilee Special Celebratory Portrait by John Bergdahl

To mark the Platinum Jubilee, the experienced coinage artist John Bergdahl created a celebratory portrait for a commemorative coin collection honouring the occasion. Reminiscent of the 1953 coronation crown created by Gilbert Ledward RA, the design featured Her Majesty on horseback in the uniform of the Horse Guards.

"I decided to differentiate the familiar equestrian portrait by including the royal garter taken from the Royal Coat of Arms"

SHOP PORTRAITS OF A QUEEN SHOP ELIZABETH II COINS