New coins: how the Queen's portrait has changed over 63 years
New portrait for British coins unveiled, marking the fifth change to the Queen's image since 1952
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
A new image of the Queen for British coins was unveiled in London today, following a closed competition among specialist designers.
It is only the fifth portrait of the Queen to appear on Britain's circulating coins since her accession to the throne in 1952, according to the Royal Mint.
It has been designed by Jody Clark, a Royal Mint engraver, who at 33 is the youngest person to have created a coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II during her 63-year reign.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Specialist designers from across Britain were invited to submit their own interpretations of the Queen. The anonymous submissions were then judged by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee before the winning artwork was recommended to the Chancellor and the Queen for approval.
Clark said he hoped he had "done Her Majesty justice" and captured her as he intended.
"The news that my design had been chosen was quite overwhelming, and I still can't quite believe that my royal portrait will be featured on millions of coins, playing a small part in The Royal Mint's 1,000-year history," he added.
Clark is the first Royal Mint Engraver to be commissioned to undertake a royal portrait since George William de Saulles, who engraved the image of Edward VII that first appeared on the coinage in 1902.
It is standard practice to update the royal portrait on Britain's coins every 15 to 20 years.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Bribery indictment
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
The daily gossip: Hollywood writers and studios reach tentative agreement to end strike, Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game amid Travis Kelce dating rumors, and more
The daily gossip: September 25, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Disaster averted
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
What have we learned in King Charles’s first year?
Today's Big Question The monarch is ‘stamping his personality’ on the role and is definitely not a ‘caretaker’, says Palace source
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Will Australia become a republic?
Today's Big Question Central bank to remove royals from banknotes as government considers new referendum on cutting ties with the British monarchy
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Most Googled word of the year revealed
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lady-in-waiting Susan Hussey resigns over racist ‘abuse’ row
Speed Read Palace aide repeatedly asked where black charity boss was ‘really’ from during royal reception
By The Week Staff Published
-
Queen Elizabeth II died of 'old age,' death certificate says
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Princess Charlotte wears horseshoe brooch that the queen gave her at funeral
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The Queen and her prime ministers - in pictures
In Pictures Through her 70-year reign, the Queen greeted 15 prime ministers
By The Week Published
-
Inside the queen's funeral
Speed Read A final goodbye to the beloved monarch who reigned for 70 years
By Catherine Garcia Published