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A piedfort is an unusually thick coin, often exactly twice the normal weight and thickness of other coins of the same diameter and pattern. Piedforts are not normally circulated, and are only struck for presentation purposes by mint officials (such as patterns), or for collectors, dignitaries, and other VIPs.
When the £1 coin was introduced in 1983 its thickness, golden colour and Latin inscription DECUS ET TUTAMEN or ‘An ornament and a safeguard’ on the coin’s edge instantly set it apart. The coin was a modern and efficient replaced for the one pound banknote, and now the round £1 coin will make way for a new state-of-the-art, 12-sided successor in 2016. The Royal Mint have struck a final commemorative edition of the last ‘round pound’ to bid farewell to the coin in its current form.
This coin has been struck as a Piedfort with twice the weight and thickness of 925 sterling silver as a standard £1 silver coin. Finished to Proof standard the coin is presented in a polished black case, and is accompanied by a booklet that reveals more on the history of the coin and the inspiration behind the contemporary last design.
Obverse
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The fifth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the George IV State Diadem and drop earrings. ·ELIZABETH II·DEI·GRA·REG·FID·DEF·2016 |
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Reverse
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Depicts a modern reworking of the Royal Arms gives each country of the United Kingdom equal billing – all four royal beasts leaping to the defence of British sovereignty with a crown at the centre. ONE |
Edge |
DECUS ET TUTAMEN — Latin for "An ornament and a safeguard", a phrase taken from Virgil's Aeneid, and here referring to the fact that the inscription serves both as a decorative feature and as a safeguard against the clipping of the coin's edges (this is not a modern concern, but harks back to the days when circulating coins were made of precious metals). This appears on coins with English-themed, Northern Irish-themed or general UK-themed designs. DECUS ET TUTAMEN |