Designing Change: Coins of Elizabeth II
Developed in collaboration with the Royal Mint
18 September 2008 – 22 February 2009
Room 69a
Admission free
In April 2008 new reverse designs were
introduced for all United Kingdom coins up to the £1 coin. These
will eventually replace the designs that have been in use since the
decimalisation of the coinage nearly 40 years ago. This small
exhibition puts the new coin reverses into context, by looking at
coin design during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Drawing on the
rich collections of the British Museum and the Royal Mint, it will
include artwork from the competition to obtain the new designs, as
well as sketches, models and trials of previous designs.
One section of the exhibition focuses on the
design of the decimal coins, by Christopher Ironside, which were
introduced from 1968. Displaying unsuccessful ideas as well as the
early sketches for the now-familiar coin designs, this part of the
exhibition shows the process of developing these miniature works of
art that we use every day.
The second section of the exhibition features
the new reverses, and shows how much has changed in the way coins
are designed over the last 40 years. As well as some of the entries
to the public competition, this part of the display includes Matt
Dent's original designs for the new reverses, trial pieces and
models, and dies used to produce the new coins.
Bringing these two sections together, the
central case of the display includes the four principal portraits
of Elizabeth II used on United Kingdom coins. Sculpted at different
stages in her 56-year reign, these are the images of the Queen seen
by millions of people every day on the money in their pockets.
To coincide with the exhibition the Royal Mint
has published a book, Designing Change: the art of coin
design. It seeks to illuminate what lies behind the design of
coins and celebrates the skill and creativity of artists and
designers. The book will be available in the British Museum
shop.
Notes to Editors
For further information or images please
contact Katrina Whenham on 020 7323 8583 or kwhenham@britishmuseum.org