2003 One Pound

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One £1 coin was issued in 2003. It uses the same reverse as the original 1983 coin but now has the new Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of the Queen. Apart from the date, this coin is identical to the 1998 £1 coin and one of the 2008 £1 coins.

Obverse Type 3 (bust design by Ian Rank-Broadley):

1pound2003obv

Reverse Type 1 (design by Eric Sewell):

1pound1983rev

Edge: DECUS ET TUTAMEN.

Mintage for Circulation: 61,596,500

Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The obverse portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley was used on all UK circulated coinage from 1998 to 2014 and on many coins dated 2015. It was the fourth portrait of the Queen used on coinage.

The reverse design shows the United Kingdom Royal Arms by Eric Sewell. The edge inscription ‘DECUS ET TUTAMEN’ is Latin for ‘An ornament and safeguard’ and was originally used on coins so that the public could tell that the edge was complete, and therefore that the coin was of good weight (without clipped edges).

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