Commonweath coins obverse

Zoins

What do you think of British Commonweath coins all using the queen for the obverse? British, Canadian, Australian and many small islands all issue coins where there's no major difference in the obverse.

Personally I would find Commonwealth coins more interesting if each country had some different obverse. As it is, I think I'm only looking at half a coin. I think it's fine to honor the queen but think it's overdone. What do you think?

Cladiator

Blasphemy against the Queen! Off with your head!

tbirde56

The queen's effigy symbolizes the strength in unity of the Commonwealth and a common goal and purpose among the countries spread around the world.
On the other hand, it IS boring!

harasha

G-D save the Queen. And be sure to watch the new release, "The Queen." Just smashing!

shirohniichan

I collect commonwealth silver coins of George V's reign. There are three different effigies used (one by E.B. McKennal, another by Percy Metcalf, and one used only on the 1927 Australian commemorative florin). I like the McKennal portrait best, but I enjoy the entire series (even with the common obverse designs).

lordmarcovan

<< <i>Personally I would find Commonwealth coins more interesting if each country had some different obverse. As it is, I think I'm only looking at half a coin. I think it's fine to honor the queen but think it's overdone. What do you think? >>

Good point. Perhaps each country within the commonwealth could use its own portrait of the queen.

I am assembling a Victorian type set using only 190-dated coins, for my daughter, Victoria. Even in 1901, it is surprising the number of different portraits of Victoria that were in use throughout the empire. While the British homeland was using the old, veiled "widow's head", many of the colonies were using young heads, bun-heads, the Gothic-style heads, and so on.

The homogenization of queenly portraits is apparently a late-20th century thing.

Sapyx

<< <i>

<< <i>Personally I would find Commonwealth coins more interesting if each country had some different obverse. As it is, I think I'm only looking at half a coin. I think it's fine to honor the queen but think it's overdone. What do you think? >>

Good point. Perhaps each country within the commonwealth could use its own portrait of the queen...The homogenization of queenly portraits is apparently a late-20th century thing. >>


The trend away from empire-wide portraits may have already started. Canada uses its own, Canadian-designed portrait. The New Zealand commemoratives have used their own, distinctive portraits since the 1980's. The Australian 2000 "Royal Visit" 50¢ used an Australian-designed portrait.

Personally, I think the current monarch will be the last to see a Commonwealth-wide, Royal-Mint-designed, standardised portrait.

lordmarcovan

Good point. I had forgotten about the recent variance between Canadian and other Commonwealth portraits.

lordmarcovan

...let's just hope that if and when Charles ascends the throne, the Cook Islands doesn't create their own distinctive, full-figure portrait of him!

rhound1977

<< <i>...let's just hope that if and when Charles ascends the throne, the Cook Islands doesn't create their own distinctive, full-figure portrait of him! >>

AuldFartte

<< <i>...let's just hope that if and when Charles ascends the throne, the Cook Islands doesn't create their own distinctive, full-figure portrait of him! >>



oh, Mad Marty'd love that, wouldn't he !!!

lordmarcovan

Gaaah. Why'd I have to create that mental image?