Royals

Final effigy? Royal Mint’s new image of Queen on Aussie coins

Apr 23, 2018

The Queen had her first effigy in 1953.

Australia’s gold and silver coins are set to get a royal makeover, in celebration of the Queen’s 92nd birthday and it’s likely to be the last time the Queen’s effigy gets an update before Prince Charles takes the throne.

The new image, designed by the UK Royal Mint’s engraver Jody Clark, is will be stamped onto 2019-dated coins and shows the ageing Queen with fine lines around her eyes and a more solid build than past versions.

She’s portrayed wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem, which was worn for her 1953 coronation and, in keeping with tradition, continues to face to the right of the coin. The effigy is an adaptation of Clark’s original drawings of the Queen.

The new coin features an updated version of the Queen created by the UK’s Royal Mint’s engraver Jody Clark. Source: Royal Australian Mint

The current image of the Queen has been lining pockets and purses since 1998, after Rank-Broadley won a design competition for the honour, and shows the Monarch in her 70s.

1998 – present, designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. Source: Royal Australian Mint

According to the Royal Australian Mint, the coins are updated with a new image of the Queen every 13 to 15 years, so it’s likely this latest version will be her last we see of her. It marks the end of a remarkable history between the 92-year-old royal and Australia, dating back to 1953, when the then-princess became Queen and her image was circulated on imperial coins around the country.

1953 – 1966 (Queen’s first coin), designed by Australia’s pre-decimal coinage. Source: Royal Australian Mint

While the new effigy is already earning plenty of praise, not everyone is thrilled with the update and some have suggested Prince Charles’ image should have been used instead following Commonwealth leaders’ decision last Friday to name him as the Queen’s successor to lead the conglomerate of nations.

1985-1998, designed by Raphael Maklouf. Source: Royal Australian Mint

A Royal Australian Mint spokesperson told Starts at 60: “As for what happens to coins if there is a change of Monarch, there are standing processes in place for this contingency as you would expect. The Royal Australian Mint does not, however, speculate about the design of the effigy of a future Monarch.”

The Queen celebrated her birthday on Saturday night with a star-studded concert, attended by the entire royal family – minus Prince Philip and the Duchess of Cambridge, who was forced to miss it as she awaits the birth of her third baby.