| Coin | One Pound 2016 Shield (mint sets only) |
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The £1 coin in base metal (as opposed to the gold sovereign, which has a nominal face value of one pound too), nickel-brass was introduced in 1983, as a replacement for the £1 banknote. The reverse design of the first £1 coin showed a depiction of the Royal Coat of Arms, representing the United Kingdom as a whole and was issued until 2008 with no change, then with a re-design in 2015, in rotation with other designs representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, alternating each year. Before 2008, the Royal Mint only issued one design per year, but starting in 2008 it sometimes had more types during the same year.
In 2008 the common UK reverse was changed to this new design by Matthew Dent. In a world-first concept, and in a re-design of all circulating denominations, the designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins were changed to depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety is featured on the £1 coin.
In 2016, coins of this type were only issued in some of the mint sets of the year. None were released into circulation.
All the brass one pound coins were demonetised in 2017 and replaced with the current 12-sided bimetallic one pound coin. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait").
Running continuously around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the date: ELIZABETH II · DEI · GRA · REG · FID · DEF · 2016 ·. Translated from Latin: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials J.C (for Jody Clark).
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse features the Shield of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom (and not the whole Royal Arms, as the earlier design). The Shield is divided into four parts; England is represented by the three lions passant guardant (walking to left, looking at the observer) in the first and fourth quarters, Scotland by the lion rampant in the second and Northern Ireland by the harp of Ireland in the third.
The value and denomination, ONE POUND, are around left and right, divided by the Shield. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
ONE POUND |
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| Edge | Milled and inscribed (incuse lettering) | Edge Inscription | DECUS ET TUTAMEN |
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| Notes | The edge inscription DECUS ET TUTAMEN means "An ornament and a safeguard" and is a quote from Virgil's Aeneid.
Mintage comprised of 38,502 brilliant uncirculated coins in sets, plus 10,328 proof coins in proof sets. Off-metal strikes not included. |
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| Included in Set |
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2016 United Kingdom Annual Coin Set - The Coins of 2016, mintage 22,786
16 coins: £5 Queen's 90th Birthday, £2 Britannia, £2 Army, £2 Shakespeare - Histories, £2 Shakespeare - Comedies, £2 Shakespeare - Tragedies, £2 Great Fire of London, £1 Royal Shield, Last Round Pound, 50p, 50p Battle of Hastings, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, 1p
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2016 United Kingdom Definitive Coin Set - The Definitive Coins of 2016, mintage 7,419
8 coins: £2 Britannia, £1 Royal Shield, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, 1p
- variety: My First Coins & Baby Journal (2016), mintage 7,484 (not included in the above set)
- variety: Coins of Your Wedding Year 2016, mintage 813 (not included in the above set) |
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