Elizabeth the Great
The lives of kings and queens
is an essential part of numismatics. The passing of Her Majesty on Thursday is
the end of an era. Most of us have never
known a different monarch.
Numismatically her reign started with the new issues bearing the Gillick
portrait. That image was controversial at the time but it is now regarded as youthful
and full of grace. The royal titles on the 1953 coins have BRITT OMN but this
was only used for that year
Her portraits changed over the
years, beginning with portrait designed by Arnold Machin for the new decimal
coins from 1968 although D Day was not until 1971. “New pence” quickly became
just “pence”. The third portrait of
the Queen was designed in 1985 by Raphael Maclouf. The fourth portrait of the Queen
was designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. The last portrait was designed by Jody Clark
in 2015 and shows the Queen with the Royal Diamond Diadem Crown, which she wore
for her Coronation in 1953. Many coins were issued to mark Royal and national
events over her seventy year reign. She appears on the coins of many
commonwealth countries.
Her Majesty offered continuity
in a world that changes too quickly. Rulers come and go but not many could
justly claim the title “The Great”. She is entitled to that because of her many
years of service and devotion to duty. She was not only the Queen of the United
Kingdom but also of fifteen countries in every country. She was a vital link to
many other nations and people across the world which we value so much. By tradition the portrait of the new king on
his coins will face the opposite direction to the predecessor. It will be
interesting to see what royal titles will be used on his coins.
We look back on her long reign
with pride and gratitude and look forward to the reign of Charles III
God save the King
