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New coin designs are ‘unworkable’

A graphic designer who has given Britain’s coin series a makeover has had his designs savaged by the one critic he must have wanted to impress.

Matthew Dent, 26, has learnt, rather publicly, that Virginia Ironside, daughter of Christopher Ironside, who designed today’s existing coins, thinks his modern replacements are unappealing.

“I can see nothing at all in the new designs to like, and all I can hear is the creaking sound of my father turning in his grave”, she wrote in a comment for the Independent on Sunday.

Although they have been approved by the Royal Mint to come into circulation this summer, Mr Dent’s coins will be “unworkable” thanks to their design, Ms Ironside added.

For not showing its worth in the “international language of simple numerals”, each coin is flawed in its design as it relies on non-English speakers to be able to “read figures as words.”

She said that she hates the new look of the coins, and believes the Royal Mint got it wrong by selecting Mr Dent as the winner of a nationwide competition to revive them.

“Surely the “primary point” of coins is not to "intrigue, to entertain and to raise a smile" as Matthew Dent declared,” Ms Ironside argued.

“The primary point of coins is to be easily readable, recognisable and work as coins in the market place."

Mr Dent beat of 4,000 rival entries and his use of a single design - the Shield of Royal Arms – across the range of pieces is said to be a first.

But Ms Ironside isn’t impressed: she said the asymmetric angles don’t work in the circular design, and Dent’s work is worthy only of an “art school project.”

Apr 7, 2008
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