Queen's fifth coin portrait revealed by The Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has revealed the fifth coin portrait of Her Majesty the Queen, and details of the winning coin designer - the first Royal Mint engraver chosen to create a definitive royal coinage portrait in over 100 years.

Read an in-depth report from the portrait launch and an interview with designer Jody Clark in April's Stamp & Coin Mart.

It is standard practice to update the royal portrait on coinage every fifteen to twenty years and the current coinage portrait of The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS has been a constant presence on circulating and commemorative coins since 1998.

The new portrait was designed by Jody Clark, who was aged just 33 when his design was selected from a number of anonymous submissions to a design competition. Jody is the youngest of the five designers to have created the portraits of The Queen that have appeared on UK circulating coin during her 63 year reign.

Jody was born in the Lake District in 1981 and studied illustration at the University of Central Lancashire. His previous projects with The Royal Mint have included work on medals struck to commemorate the 2014 Ryder Cup and Nato summit.

APPROVED BY THE QUEEN

Jody’s portrayal of The Queen, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation, was selected in a closed competition organised by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC), a consultative panel to Her Majesty’s Treasury comprising experts from such fields as history, sculpture, architecture, art and design. A number of specialist designers from across Britain were invited to submit their own interpretations of the Queen’s portrait under anonymous cover, and each one was judged on its merits and suitability before the winning artwork was recommended to the Chancellor and, ultimately, The Queen for approval.

Coins featuring the new effigy go into production as of today, and the public are being urged to keep a watchful eye on their coins later this year when it will start to appear in change around the country.

Speaking about his winning design, Jody said: 'I really liked the four previous coin portraits - each one is strong in its own way. I hope that I’ve done Her Majesty justice and captured her as I intended, in a fitting representation. 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.'



Read an in-depth report from the portrait launch and an interview with designer Jody Clark in April's Stamp & Coin Mart.