New ‘global’ pound coin
HM Treasury has confirmed that the £1 coin will be going global. This announcement means that the UK’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will be able to design and mint their own versions of the 12-sided £1 coin replacing the older coins. The coins are expected to feature images celebrating the heritage of these territories, with their history and culture pictured on the reverse side.
The new £1 coin was introduced in 2017. The coin was introduced partly to help combat the problem of counterfeit coins. The features of the new £1 coin include: hidden high security features to combat counterfeiting in the future as well as a hologram-like image that changes from a ‘£’ symbol to the number ‘1’ when the coin is seen from different angles. The Royal Mint will work to ensure that the new coins in these territories meet the same security standards as in the UK.
Robert Jenrick, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:
‘The Great British pound is internationally recognised and as we extend the new £1 coin to our territories and dependencies, we will see new designs emerge that together symbolise our shared history. In the same way that the rose, leek, thistle and shamrock are used on our coin to represent the four nations of the UK, these new designs will reflect the rich and varying British communities across the world. From the Falklands to Gibraltar, this move sends a clear message of our unshakeable commitment to our territories around the globe.’
