On the milled edge of the coin is the Llantrisant mint mark - a cross crosslet. This is the first United Kingdom coin to be struck with this distinctive feature. The shape of the cross alluding to Llantrisant, which translated from the Welsh means "Church or Parish of the Three Saints".

The edge is not only milled but also inscribed. The inscription in Latin reads:- DECUS ET TUTAMEN. Which may be translated as "an ornament and a safeguard". This inscription dates back to the first machine-struck coins minted in 1662 and was a device to prevent "clipping".

The design process for the pound coin began with a competition for the reverse design of the new coin. The entries were judged by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, whose President is the Duke of Edinburgh, and the selected design by Eric Sewell, formerly Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint, was then submitted for the approval of Her Majesty The Queen.

This British legal tender coin is struck in a variety of finishes including uncirculated, Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver Proof, Silver Proof Piedfort and Gold Proof.

On 28 March 2017, the circulated round pound was replaced by the 12 sided £1 coin. On the 15 October the round £1 coin will cease to be legal tender. Read more about the pound coin in our blogs:

One Pound Coin Designs, The Complete Collection 1983 - 2017

Introducing the New 12 Sided One Pound Coin

One Pound Coin Specifications

Why Did They Make 2016 12 Sided £1 Coins?

What is a 2016 Twelve Sided New £1 Pound Coin Worth?

Obverse

The obverse of the coin shows the Arnold Machin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II which was adopted for decimalisation and has been used on nearly all UK coinage since 1968. It continued in use until 1984.

Reverse

The reverse of the coin shows the Royal Arms, and it is appropriate that it should feature on one of the nation's premier coins.

Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendant of the Sovereigns of England, of Ireland and of Scotland. Accordingly Her Majesty is head of the oldest continuing Royal Lines in Christendom. As the embodiment of the Sovereignty of those countries, Her Majesty quarters their historic Arms.

The Royal Arms achieved their present form upon the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837 and have remained essentially the same ever since.

Specification

Version	Diameter (mm)	Weight (grams)	Metal	Alloy	Actual Metal Weight (troy ounces)	Issue Limit
Ordinary Circulation	22.50	9.50	Nickel-brass			443,053,510
Uncirculated in Folder	22.50	9.50	Nickel-brass			484,900
Silver Proof	22.50	9.50	Silver	0.925 Silver	0.2825	50,000
Piedfort Silver Proof	22.50	19	Silver	0.925 Silver	0.5650	15,000

2024 Christmas Opening Hours and Despatch Dates

General

Tuesday 24th December 2024 - Phone lines 9:30 - 14:00 (Last showroom appointment 12:00pm - Collections Only).
Wednesday 25th December 2024 - Wednesday 1st January 2025 - Closed (Urgent enquiries will still be answered during this time).
Thursday 2nd January 2025 - Normal Business Hours.
All orders placed between Friday 20th December 2024 and Wednesday 1st January 2025 will be despatched between 2nd - 5th January 2025.

Hatton Garden

Closed 20th December 2024 - 5th January 2025 inclusive.

Christmas Despatch 2024

Last despatch date for UKSTANDARD orders in time for Christmas – Monday 16th December.
Last despatch date for UKSPECIAL orders over £5,000 in time for Christmas – Thursday 19th December.
Last despatch date for UKSPECIAL orders below £5,000 in time for Christmas & UKSTANDARDS orders not in time for Christmas – Friday 20th December.

Internationals

Last despatch date for international orders in time for Christmas – Monday 2nd December.
Last despatch date for all internationals – Monday 16th December.

Distance Buy-Ins

Distance Buy Ins (DBI) – Last despatch date for DBI packaging – Packaging shipped out Monday 16th to arrive with customer Tuesday 17th to be collected by DPD Wednesday 18th to arrive with us Thursday 19th.

New Year

First despatch date in the New Year – Thursday 2nd January 2025.

Delivery Information

We aim to dispatch orders within 48 hours of receiving cleared funds. Our standard delivery methods are as follows.

Orders over £60 - Fully Insured Delivery.

Within the UK and BFPO - Next day fully insured and tracked. Delivery starts from £6.

Orders under £60

Within the UK and BFPO - Royal Mail 2nd Class. Your order will normally arrive within 2-3 working days. Delivery starts from £3.50.

If you wish to have your order sent by an alternative method (e.g., Saturday Guaranteed) please contact +441253343081 for more information. Please note, we will not dispatch high value orders over a bank holiday weekend.

For international delivery, please check with your local customs office for more information on custom duty and taxes.

Full delivery information can be found by clicking here.

Postal Insurance

We offer fully insured delivery on all special delivery options. We do need to pass on the cost of this insurance as it soon adds up shipping high value gold and silver products.

Orders under £1500 there is no additional fee.
Orders over £1500 we charge a fee in order to cover the increasing costs of insurance. For every £1500 we apply a £1 fee.

If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to call the showroom on +441253343081 and one of our team can discuss your purchase.

Terms of Sale - Key Points

You can find more information on payment and identification requirements.

Bullion coins are provided as is and on occasion may have some minor scratches or edge knocks. These are not regarded as faulty or damaged goods as their precious metal content and value as a bullion coin is not affected. Any coin sold for a value less than a 180% intrinsic is considered a bullion coin.

Gold investment products are VAT free. Silver investment products are inclusive of VAT at the current rate unless otherwise stated.

All investment products are based on the live precious metal price. Prices will be fixed once the item has been added to the basket and recalculates just before checking out.

If your product is not a graded coin and is considered a bullion item, it should be noted that these are bought and sold on low premiums over their precious metal content and not solely for aesthetic purposes; therefore, some products may have edge knocks and/or marks. These edge knocks and marks do not alter the specifications of the coins.

Please note that all investment products are exempt from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and therefore customers do not have the right to cancel their order once the order has been accepted. If customers no longer wish to go ahead with their investment purchase, there is an option to sell the products back to Chard (1964) Ltd instead. View our current buy back prices.

View our full Terms & Conditions.

Emma

“No "great experience" because I simply received what I ordered, but it was pleasing that the process (which was my first experience with this seller)... Read More”

a day ago

Mason E

“Excellent service prompt delivery Great company ”

Genuine customer

“I looked hard for a trustworthy place to purchase gold sovereigns at a very competitive rate. Ordering online is really easy and delivery secure. Postage... Read More”

Thomas M

“Good service at a good price.”

Derek

“Items were pre-ordered at a fair price with a predicted lead time. All were received within timescale - even Royal Mail did well. Package well... Read More”

customer

“On every occasion I have ordered coins from Chards the packaging and delivery of items has always been excellent. ”

David Taylor

“Extremely helpful and a great delivery service woukd definitely recommend Was also very easy to set up an account with Chards ”

Cath J

“Great prices and fast service, will be buying from Chards again. ”

Jonathan Young

“Great company to deal with at best prices.Check out on you tube some great advice.”

Charlie Ward

“Always reliable, and best premiums both buying and selling back.”

1983 UK Coin £1 Silver Proof Royal Coat of Arms