Graphic Edition
Can Coins Look Sexy?
Coins, in the form of money, have always looked a bit boring. Most coins have a very traditional and classic design - often with a picture of a former president or the queen/king and with several landmarks thrown in for good measures.
The result is usually... well... not something fit for a design site. Until now.
United Kingdom is replacing their boring coin design with a new one - and they look amazing. It still has a traditional touch, but it is made with a cool modern look. The most brilliant part is that all the coins fit together to create full pattern.
(via The Royal Mint)
Comments
lucas - Apr. 5, 2008
awesome designs. sure beats the new fives.
Melf - Apr. 5, 2008
Where's the two pound coin?
Phil112 - Apr. 5, 2008
"Where's the two pound coin?"
They haven't redesigned that one because the design wasn't that old anyway.
Oisín - Apr. 5, 2008
Why the fuck is the harp on it?
The harp is a symbol of the Republic of Ireland.
Fucking brits, think ye own the world
P. Brouillette - Apr. 5, 2008
That some good looking money. Finally they add better art and history to the coins. So what is the republic of ireland is on there...to the rest of the world your all in the same boat to us! britan scottland britan to me its all english speaking island oisin...lol
Skinlo - Apr. 5, 2008
"Why the fuck is the harp on it?
The harp is a symbol of the Republic of Ireland.
Fucking brits, think ye own the world"
We own more of it than you do ;)
Pretty good coins, I like how they create one big picture when put together.
Coinious - Apr. 5, 2008
Why are some "silver" and some "gold" colored... or should I say coloured...They seem to be the same value...
Top Ten Lists - Apr. 5, 2008
'Why are some "silver" and some "gold" colored... or should I say coloured...They seem to be the same value...'
The gold ones look to be a commemorative version of the coins (a strangely popular collectable in the UK that you can buy). As far as I know the coins will be staying their normal colours:
One pound - gold, 50p - silver, 20p - silver, 10p - silver, 5p - silver, 2p - bronze, 1p - bronze
Top Ten Lists - Apr. 5, 2008
Also it's worth noting the change of design was part of a competition - this winning design was by a guy called Matthew Dent.
Jack - Apr. 5, 2008
"The gold ones look to be a commemorative version of the coins (a strangely popular collectable in the UK that you can buy). As far as I know the coins will be staying their normal colours:"
Dude we have commemorative coins in the US too, it's not very strange at all.
Laz - Apr. 5, 2008
I think it's an incredible design blending classic with modern. I only wish the United States could come up with some new designs. We haven't had decent coinage since Teddy Roosevelt had everything redesigned many many years ago. I for one am getting tired of seeing dead President's.
Ed - Apr. 5, 2008
oh for god's sake they're not replacing the british coin system. Someone has made these on their computers and they look cool, nothing more.
Thomas Baekdal - Apr. 5, 2008
Ed, why don't you head over to "The Royal Mint" and see for yourself?
Top Ten Lists - Apr. 5, 2008
'Dude we have commemorative coins in the US too, it's not very strange at all.'
Maybe it's just a personal thing, I think it's weird paying over face-value for coins in a box :)
Leszek - Apr. 6, 2008
A mnie projekt monet bardzo sie podoba. Naprawde bardzo ciekawe i oryginalne rozwiazanie.
wrincewind - Apr. 6, 2008
personally, i think these coins are great. i can't wait for them to come out.
bipolar2 - Apr. 6, 2008
Looks like designs for
"The Crown, PLC"
CEO: Liz Windsor
COO: Charles Windsor, MA (Cantab.)
Various Courtiers and
Assorted Toadies & Hangers-on
mark - Apr. 6, 2008
They're coins. I'd hardly call them 'sexy' .. maybe you get turned on by pocket change. I do not.
Tiemen - Apr. 6, 2008
One pound != 50 pence + 20 pence + 10 pence + 5 pence + 1 penny.
So I don't get the logic of this shield thingie.
Adam - Apr. 6, 2008
zajefajne monety kiedy bede mial takie w kieszeni...??
Ollie - Apr. 7, 2008
Many have been asking about why the £2 coin is not there and hence not been re-designed. This is due to the fact that all the coins above have not been changed in design since they came out at the point of decimilisation in the 1950's. the 2 pound coin however only arrived in 1997, therefore the Royal Mint decided it was far too early to redesign it. :)
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Apr. 7, 2008
The shield thing is the shield of royal arms, a part of The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.
Many european contries got a national royal shield.
Wikipedia explains what the symbols in the shield means:
"The shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three lions passant guardant of England; in the second, the rampant lion and double tressure fleury-counter-fleury of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Ireland."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_the_United_Kingdom
james - Apr. 7, 2008
The harp is also the symbol of Wales, too. Oh, and a good portion of Ireland is still British - so don't go whinging or the British will come back and steal all your potatoes and guinness again!
Paul Parkinson - Apr. 9, 2008
Just a point of correction. The coin designs haven't been changed materially since they came out in when the UK decimalised on 15th February 1971. I can remember being gutted by the change. I went from 6d buying lots of sweets (4 for a penny) to 2 1/2 new pence buying less than half... Grrrr... :-)
Herbalife - Apr. 9, 2008
Are the coins for regular circulation? Or do you have to buy them at the mint's souvenir shops?
Nate - Apr. 9, 2008
I am bored of this aready because it sucks. The coins do not line up well because there is all that extra negative space. For me to be impressed, the coins should really be designed like a puzzle so that they get all stuck together in your pocket and are generally a nuisance.
skipper2008 - Apr. 9, 2008
How the heck can a coin be sexy? It's a fucking coin for God sake.
Chronus - Apr. 9, 2008
You'll find out when you're older, skipper.
Joe d''Olan - Apr. 11, 2008
The Harp symbol is a very Irish symbol. Could the Brits not use the Rose???
Barc - Apr. 14, 2008
Well, let's see here.
1) Decimalisation happened in the '70s. I have a set of the first ones.
2) And something no one else mentioned: The 10p & 2p coins look to be the same size; I am under the impression that the blind mostly tell coins apart by their size. Is there some marking on the edges to differentiate them?
3) No pix of the reverse?
4) Get over the harp; it's been part of the Great Seal for centuries.
Wealden Lad - Apr. 15, 2008
"Oisín - Apr. 5, 2008
Why the fuck is the harp on it?
The harp is a symbol of the Republic of Ireland.
Fucking brits, think ye own the world"
What a complete twat, the harp is also a symbol of Wales.
It's not about owning the world you turd, but a representation of all of the flags that make up everything that makes this place the centre of the world and not some tin-pot ragged arsed country that wants to rule the world but forgets the rules. Not a land where most of the inhabitants have not even got a passport and couldn't even point to which way the ocean is.
Complete wankers, the land of the free and the brave, ha, coundn't even organise an orgy in a brothel.
HJ - Apr. 16, 2008
waste of time when we should just get the Euro
Phil - Apr. 16, 2008
"I am bored of this aready because it sucks. The coins do not line up well because there is all that extra negative space. For me to be impressed, the coins should really be designed like a puzzle so that they get all stuck together in your pocket and are generally a nuisance."
Only the design of the coins was up for change not the shape of them!
Phil - Apr. 16, 2008
"2) And something no one else mentioned: The 10p & 2p coins look to be the same size; I am under the impression that the blind mostly tell coins apart by their size. Is there some marking on the edges to differentiate them?
3) No pix of the reverse?"
The 2p has a smooth edge where as the 10p has a rough edge. (lots of vertical lines). The same is true with the 1p and the 5p.
I presume the other side of the coin will still contain the queens head. The new designs will become the standard for the other side of the coin - which actually changes on the 50p every now and then for special occasions. Such as the most recent 50p design has the scouts logo to demonstrate the movements centenary in 2007.
Don - Apr. 17, 2008
Awesome! I must say it's a good thing they haven't gone to the Euro! Great post.
Bam - Apr. 17, 2008
@HJ - Are you mad?!
"We should just get the Euro?!"
And be like every other country in the EU?
Not me buddy, no way!
Our empire is the damn finest empire this world has ever seen! Why would we want to blend in with out neighbours?!
These coins are awesome; they represent creativity, love of our Queen and Country and down right British-ness!
Kari - Apr. 18, 2008
These coins look really, really good. I've never seen this type of stylish design on a piece of money before. Cool!
Trav - Apr. 18, 2008
Sure beats the new "sesame street' american bills http://www.coinnews.net/wp-content/images/5-Bill-Redesigned-For-Release-In-2008.jpg
Jeff - Apr. 21, 2008
Geez, and they call us dumb Americans.
The place is called the "United Kingdom" because Scotland, Ireland Wales and England "United" long ago.
That's why the harp, the symbol of Ireland, is on the UK seal. Duh. I mean, I presume all the whining is from people living in Ireland...
And it takes a "Dumb American" to explain the Royal Seal to you...
New Coins=Cool.
US Money!=Cool
Oh well, maybe we'll redesign them all now.
Eliza - Apr. 21, 2008
Jeff: uh, the reason some people are complaining is because Ireland is NOT part of the UK anymore (except for Northern Ireland) because they didn't want to be.
I personally don't have an opinion since I am American, but I can understand why some Irish people might not like it.
Mark - Apr. 22, 2008
Hello,
I've got a simply question. Those coins look great, but please tell me is this a official payment method in UK or it has just a collection value?
I know of course that coins costs more that a nominal value, but is it possible to use them to pay?
best Regards
Jamie - Apr. 23, 2008
I can't wait! I'm gonna collect the whole set!!
Candice - Apr. 28, 2008
"Oh, and a good portion of Ireland is still British - so don't go whinging or the British will come back and steal all your potatoes and guinness again!"
If thats not a prime example of the type of bully mentality typical of the Eurocentric Imperialist notions of expansion which caused slavery and such monstrosities in the first place, then I do not know what is. 'Don't you dare complain about the hegemonic powers or we'll chop your heads off!' - how very 21st century.
Jordan - May. 3, 2008
And this is why no one can get along in the world today. Everyone has to argue about every little thing. I think its a good design and i dont see it really mattering that the harp is on there. At least the Britain's thought enough of Ireland to include you. You must be somewhat important to them.
Santhenar - May. 4, 2008
Have you seen the Victoria Cross 50p pieces? They are very nice.
darren - May. 5, 2008
Top Notch! Very cool idea.
Brian - May. 5, 2008
The harp is used in Northern Ireland, too, which is voluntarily part of the UK. St. Patricks cross is also part of the Union Jack.
The coins get redesigned all the time, and there are lots and lots of different designs of British coins. These are pretty cool (for coins).
Mint coins usually sell for their face value when they're issued, but the government make money because a certain amount of people collect them and don't ever spend them. It actually pays for the new design if enough people collect them... I still have a few 'first edition' 1989 2 pound coins that never got used, and few people have ever seen because no-one ever spent them. (Made like a pound coin, not bi-metallic).
Coins are boring enough, but if you have to make more you may as well them a little different than before. The US 'state' quarters are fun, too.
Anonymous - May. 7, 2008
Yeah, the coins look real nice! But lets face it, why do we have to be so arrogant and not get the euro. It would be so much easier. Euro!
Loose change - May. 10, 2008
What a pain it's going to be to tell the values apart when you want to buy something. And I'm not even a pensioner yet with fuzzy eyesight.
Didn't the designer think about how the things should work rather than just trying to make them look good?
Why don't more people with brains leave comments on web sites rather than those that only seem able to say awesome all the time.
Peter Lombardo - Jun. 22, 2008
Brilliant!
Anonymous - Jul. 10, 2008
I wonder what if there was no the harp on coins, wouldn't Northern Irish people think of ignoring them?
Pete - Jul. 16, 2008
yeah! really nice, about time someone put some more effort into this type of design. British and modern just what they need. I like the 5p best.
:)
Bill - Aug. 12, 2008
Yeah, the brits are great
Chris - Sep. 8, 2008
"The Harp symbol is a very Irish symbol. Could the Brits not use the Rose???"
The Royal Standard wasn't created for these designs - it's been around for hundreds of years. And in any case, as a Brit with Irish heritage I think it's good that we acknowledge the connection between the countries, especially as there's a lot of people who live in the North of Ireland who have to use sterling but consider themselves primarily Irish.
The coins make me proud - one of the few things we're still good at is design!
So far I've had the 1p, 2p and 5p in my change - anyone had any others yet?
Dave - Sep. 11, 2008
I think everyone should get a set of these (plus all the paper money) and compare it with the U.S. designs. Then, when you've compared the two, you should send them on to me because you'll have no use for them, and as a public service, I will dispose of them for you at no charge.
Dave
Brit living in the U.S.
Anonymous - Sep. 20, 2008
Jeff, you have single handedly prooved that Americans are all idiots, you come to this message board then patronisingly try and tell all us Brits that the Republic of Ireland is part of the UK? please, for god sake, you are a fool
The coins look cool too,
Irishman - Sep. 28, 2008
Anonymous - Sep. 20, 2008
Jeff, you have single handedly prooved that Americans are all idiots, you come to this message board then patronisingly try and tell all us Brits that the Republic of Ireland is part of the UK? please, for god sake, you are a fool
The coins look cool too
****************************************************************************
My God, the yanks haven't a clue about anything outside their own country but you Brits aren't far behind. For your information the Republic of Ireland is not part of of Britian or the UK. Its the small part of the island (aka Northern Ireland) that you stole off us Irish thats under ur rule. Please dont insult my people any further.
Britchick - Oct. 1, 2008
It sucks that I dont live there anymore. The only thing I like about the US's is the colours.
THE USA COINS SUCK! THE BRITISHCIONS ARE BETTER!
Britchick - Oct. 1, 2008
It sucks that I dont live there anymore. The only thing I like about the US's is the colours.
THE USA COINS SUCK! THE BRITISH CIONS ARE BETTER!
Bastian - Oct. 4, 2008
Good lord, people. They're bloody COINS. Get over yourselves. You use them to buy a pint; you hardly look at them, so don't take any huge political offense at them. The US has "In God We Trust" on all their coinage, but a majority of the non-Christians don't care a bit about it. You have better things to be irate about.
Published: Apr. 3, 2008
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Thomas Baekdal is a Writer, Interaction Designer, Change Advocate and Project Manager.
Zyb - Apr. 4, 2008
Whoa, this is sooo awesome! I like some of the EURO-Coins (e.g. the ancient owl-coin on the Greek coins or the heraldry on -- I think -- Portugese coins), but many others are very boring (like those portraits of kings or the German eagle, etc.).
But these new British coins absolutely rock! They appear very 'British' -- elegant, stately, mannered -- but at the same time they radiate a sort of witty creativity, which makes them interesting, surprising and /cool/ (which is something I do associate with British pop and art culture, but not with 'national' things). Respect to the designers!