Twelve sides, two colours and a “hologram”: everything you need to know about the new pound as it enters circulation.
As the Royal Mint introduces a new £1 coin to tackle forgeries, here are 10 things we know about the pound.
1. The new 12-sided coin has a gold-coloured outer ring and a silver-coloured centre.
2. It features the fifth coinage portrait of the Queen, and is designed by Jody Clark.
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3. It includes a latent image which, like a hologram, changes from a “£” to a “1” when seen from different angles.
4. The design for the new pound coin includes a rose, a thistle, a leek and a shamrock to reflect the four parts of the UK. In the past there have been 25 different designs on the pound coin.
5. It is lighter than the old pound coin weighing just 8.75g and is thinner at 2.8mm, but it slightly wider with a maximum diameter of 23.43mm.