Currency I can't quite believe how experimental and exciting the new designs for the back of our coinage is. Matthew Dent's literally linking the base metals in our pocket together symbolically evoking the union of the United Kingdom. It's a pity though, that by using the royal coat of arms, Wales loses its specific symbolism. From the inspiration* page:
"The Royal Arms is divided into four parts: England being represented by the three lions passant guardant in the first and fourth quarters, the Scottish lion rampant in the second and the harp of Ireland in the third, with all four quarters spread over the six coins from the 1p to the 50p. Completing the new range of coins is the £1 coin featuring the shield of the Royal Arms in its entirety, uniting the six fragmented elements into one design."
I suppose they'll have to make do with one set of the three lions, since redesigning the shield would be missing the point. At least it means every parent will also have a jigsaw in their pocket ready for those long train journeys. Which should keep the nippers busy for a couple of minutes...
*or 'inpiration' as the page title currently says. See -- if the Mint can have typos on their pages ...

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