Re: Latest on new UK circulation designs for 2008


"oly" <oly2059@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e71559da-b0e8-4f61-803d-31e433b27c95@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mar 1, 7:41 am, adam_swansb...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
In the March 2008 edition of "Coin News" (UK), Michael Alexander,
President of the London Banknote and Monetary Research Centre comments
on the new (as yet unseen) UK 2008 reverse designs for the 1p to 50p
coins. With regard to the recent newspaper-led furore over the coming
loss of Britannia from the reverse of the 50p coin, he writes:

"As the Royal Mint have reiterated to me: 'The new designs do take on
a traditional theme that reflects the nation's rich heritage,
including our historic national and heraldic emblems, and treat it in
an innovative and contemporary way'.

"I will be conducting an exclusive interview with the artist whose
designs were chosen for this important numismatic event in the coming
weeks on behalf of COIN NEWS and will be able to give a more informed
and insightful comment about the new circulation coin series after
that...My interview in its entirety, with images, will appear on the
website of COIN NEWS on the day of the launch, which will be announced
by the Royal Mint."

This confirms the view of the poster who reported the mention of such
designs in the London Gazette. My initial reaction was disappointment,
as I was looking for something modern, i.e. in keeping with the times,
which heraldry certainly isn't. When I say modern, I don't mean
something that, as Tony Clayton suggested, would date as quickly as
flared trousers.

I agree with Tony Clayton, however, that heraldry has provided great
artistic inspiration for our British coins over the centuries. I just
don't find heraldry to be relevant to the 21st century. I may or may
not change my view when I see the designs.

I was pleased to see the release of the recent "bridge series"
reverses for our UK pound coins, as I'd long wanted to see some
representational designs on our circulation coins (as opposed to
heraldic or symbolic ones). The recent one-off annual 50p and £2 coin
designs have included some representational designs, of course. Of
late, however, I find myself looking with greater interest at the
heraldic and symbolic circulation pound designs (pre-2004) in my
change. That's human nature for you, I suppose. So who knows, maybe I
will admire the coming 1p to 50p designs, once I see them.

Anyway, to put my disappointment to rest, here is my description of
the reverse designs of the ideal UK set that never was and never will
be:

1p - Mole. Beautiful tiny creature that would fit well onto the small
penny.

2p - Traditionally this design is reserved for Wales, hence I would
like to see an attractive and realistic rendition of a daffodil, one
of the national emblems of Wales.

5p - A Scottish piper. The 5p reverse design is traditionally reserved
for Scotland.

10p - Stonehenge. Though located near Salisbury, England, it speaks of
our Celtic prehistory, and so should appeal to the four indigenous
nationalities of Britain. Stonehenge is well-known around the world,
so such a design would appeal to tourists as well.

20p - Big Ben. Another well-known tourist sight, and a reminder that
Britain is a parliamentary democracy.

50p - A European badger. A most handsome British beast.

Finally, I do hope the Royal Mint produces a book illustrating some of
the actual designs that never were, i.e. a selection of the
unsuccessful competition entries.

Adam.

You know, Stonehenge as we know it today is a crock of ***. They
might as well have carted away all the original stones, thrown them in
the ocean, and given Walt Disney some bull*** concept about the
"great and wise Druids" and let Uncle Walter re-design it all from
scratch.

Stonehenge is one of my big buggaboos. The stones as they sat 100-150
years ago and the way they are set up today are bull***. There are
almost innumerable old time photos which show how they stones were
back ten. Today, the "scientists" have even filled in portions of
some of the stones with concrete and fiberglass to make them "more
regular" and "more pretty".

oly
____________________

So do you think historic treasures like the coliseum, Egyptian temples,
Plymouth Colony, and old Jerusalem look exactly the same as they once did,
and without some modern "help"? I enjoyed visiting Stonehenge without the
need for a critical analysis of how it might have changed from the way it
looked millenniums ago. Bull*** never entered my mind.






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