Royal mint launchers new design.......

[bigjarofwasps]

http://www.royalmint.com/newdesigns/designsRevealed.aspx

What do we think?

Personally I think there rather good....

[Guest Rick Research]

Amusing concept, but puts me in mind of medieval money, "clipped" into chunks. Since the same identical HM must be on the other side, I'd think it will be VERY easy (given the dramatically emptying shallow gene pool these days) for change makers to make mistakes... and having to be eagle-eyed and sift through every handful of loose change would be rather bothersome.

We've got that now with paper currency constantly changing designs. Have to STARE at everything and turn 'em right side around to see what thee heck they ARE, like we're all illiterates.

We've got coins for 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents as well as a1 dollar coin that more or less parallels your 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 1.

NOBODY wants or uses our dollar coin and I can't imagine your Pound one (being worth much more) being any more useful day to day. Your tuppence seems an anachronism and just makes things confusing for too many coins. We rarely use our 50 cent pieces either-- 1s, 5s, 10s, and 25s are the odds and ends change we get back most commonly from anything our sad little dollars still buy.

Reduce the number of coins, and maybe it wouldn't be so messy.

Or bring back shillings, sovereigns, and glorious golden guineas! Nobody seems to have noticed that after coins went from bullion to recycled tunafish tins metal, "suddenly" our money wasn't "worth" anything anymore. Hmmmmm....

[Mike Dwyer]

Speaking strictly from my view as a heraldry fan, not from the very valid points about confusing designs that Rick mentions, I think they're rather neat!

[leigh kitchen]

I don't like them, the concept is an outmoded one better remaining with postage stamps I feel.

Why attempt to be clever & different in this fashion?

Although there's an element of tradition in the symbols used (perhap the pensioning off of Brittannia after a couple of hundred years of depiction on coinage isn't a part of snowballing determination to discard national identity) I'd far rather Brittannia stayed along with more traditional symbols, they don't have to be lions & stuff, even the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Gherkin or other touristy stuff - just not gimmicky.

At least euro symbolism is avoided, & other countries freedom fighters & the like, & just think of the fun the little kiddies can have playing jigsaw with their coins.

[leigh kitchen]

In fact, there's something about the arrangement of these coins that reminds me of a KFC chicken viewed from abave - divided into 9 portions ( I know, there are only 7 coins) complete with parsons nose.

While we're at it, why not get rid of a few denominations - the 1p serves no real purpose other than to be knocked off the price of something to give the impression that it's a real loose change bargain at only ?999.99 instead of a horrific ?1000, why do we need a 2p when we've got a 1 & a 5, nobody likes the 5p apart from the media who tried & failed to get it nicknamed "The Tiddler" (lawks a mussy guv'nor, 'ousey 'ousey apples an pears I'm just off dahn the pub to toss me old tiddlers at the serving wench) & little old ladies who save them in bottles.

[bigjarofwasps]

Going but I can`t resist, 5p called tiddlers...I can see why that didn`t stick... I thought the common nick name for a 5p was a `cats arse`??

[bigjarofwasps]

But seriously (& getting back on topic), I can see some sort of poll is required here, as to whether we like these new coins or not.....

[leigh kitchen]

Absolutely, as long as it results in a resounding thumbs down........

[Richard Gordon]

I like them purely as a collectors set but not to replace what we currently have.

rich

[Robin Lumsden]

I can imagine the (growing number of) Old Age Pensioners (or are they 'Senior Citizens' still?) having lots of fun with these.

What they want is something with a clear '5', '10', '50' or whatever, that can be read easily.

The heraldic references are fine, but the designs are too 'busy' IMHO.

At least we don't have rainbows etc. etc. on them.

[leigh kitchen]

That's an easy one to resolve - just replace the Queens head on the other side with a whopping great numeral.

It's the euro that messes me up, umpteen different designs on the same denomination, sizes etc not distinctive enough, & I keep mistaking the number "5" or whatever next to a flaming great globe or whatever it is as a "50".

[bigjarofwasps]

The first coins appear to be starting to filth through, so far I`ve seen 1p & 5p, has anyone seen any others?

[leigh kitchen]

Dam, you see, nobody listens to me.

[Ulsterman]

Dam, you see, nobody listens to me.

Nah- I'm with you-load of rubbish and the coins are very American in feel, weight and size: modern Brownian junk.

Personally, I still haven't reconciled to the decimal system.

[Guest IMHF]

Cool looking coins do you have pictures of the reverse side of them?

Thank you

Lorenzo

[bigjarofwasps]

Cool looking coins do you have pictures of the reverse side of them?

Thank you

Lorenzo

If the 1s & 5s are anything to go by, there just the same of the old type.