Change changes

[libertango]

The Royal Mint has announced new designs for the full set of British coins.

The basic idea is that the one pound coin shows the Shield of the Royal Arms, and then the smaller denominations each have of a piece of the picture, which can be seen when you assemble the set together.

The irony, to me, is how the concept is a great illustration of E pluribus unum -- oops, wrong country.

Also interesting is the winning design is by a 26-year-old graphic designer, Matt Dent, who won in an open competition with about 4,000 entries.

Comments

[drplokta]

I think you're a bit behind the curve here -- these have been released, and I've already started getting them in my change from time to time.

[hal-obrien.livejournal.com]

I only saw it today through an oblique reference from Kottke.

{shrug}

As may be... Perhaps I'm finally getting to the age where I can used as a negative bellwether -- eg, if it's finally circulated to me, then tout le monde must know about it.

[camies.livejournal.com]

I go 'aargh' on a few levels about this.

1. A good rule of graphic design is never do anything funny to your logo. Particularly don't cut it up if it isn't designed to be cut up. The Royal Coat of Arms counts as a logo, doesn't it?
2. I also seem to recall it's specifically illegal in the UK to superimpose anything on the Royal Coat of Arms. Cutting it up and spreading it across coins would probably be included.
3. We aren't going to get the Euro any time soon then.

[hal-obrien.livejournal.com]

1. This sounds like one of those faddish rules like the classical unities. That, and an attitude that because it can be done badly, it shouldn't be done at all. While Sir Humphrey would be proud, fads pass.

2. Strangely enough, I suspect that if the process is far enough along that coins are already showing up in people's pockets, it's been subject to review by lawyers somewhere along the line. As may be, in this video it's asserted the queen has ticked her box in review... So I don't think getting sued by the crown is a concern.

3. "We aren't going to get the Euro any time soon then."

Wholly different issue, and not the Royal Mint's concern at all, as far as I can tell.

It's not unlike the dilemma, "How can I buy a new computer today when an updated model is coming out tomorrow?" It could well be argued that one of the reasons coinage hasn't been redesigned for 30-40 years is precisely because of the worry over the Euro coming "tomorrow."

As I've said in a different context, "Zeno be damned. Sometimes you just gotta get laid."

[n6tqs.livejournal.com]

Two things spring to mind- there's no two-pound coin in the set, and they don't have a number on them, just the words (although they're better than US coins which don't even have the word for the number).