Tomorrow, the UK is set to replace its round one pound coin design with a brand new 12-sided version. The Royal Mint, which produces the coin, claims it is the most secure coin in the world and will be extremely difficult to counterfeit due to the features built into it.
The new one pound coin is very different. Not only does it switch from being completely round to 12-sided, it's also thinner (2.8mm), lighter 8.75g), and slightly larger in diameter (23.43mm) than the old coin, making it a headache for anyone who maintains coin-operated machines.
A more secure coin was needed because the existing one, in circulation for over 30 years, is highly vulnerable to counterfeiting. Approximately one in every 30 one pound coins is thought to be counterfeit, and they are very hard to spot. That's why the existing design will also be phased out quickly, with the coin no longer being accepted for payments after October 16 (although banks and post offices will still take them).
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The new coin is more secure in a number of ways counterfeiters will find it hard to reproduce. As well as being 12-sided to make it instantly recognizable, it has milled edges (grooves) on alternate sides. The coin is bimetallic, with the outer ring being nickel-brass and gold in color, while the inner silver ring is nickel-plated alloy.
A latent image, much like a hologram, is viewable below the Queen's head on the coin. As you change the angle of the coin this image switches from showing a "£" symbol to a "1." Around the edge of the coin there is also micro-lettering, which repeats "one pound" on the heads side and the year of production on the tails side.
Finally, there's a "hidden high security feature" embedded within the coin which little is known about. Could it be there's an NFC-like tag inside each of these coins that can be easily checked by banks for authenticity? That would be my guess.
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