Today the new twelve-sided coin officially replaces the original pound coin introduced way back in April 1983. Along with its twelve sides, it is thinner, lighter and slightly larger than the original.
So why have the Royal Mint given us a new coin? Well, a recent study revealed that around one in every thirty-pound coin is a fake, that’s 3% of all the pound coins in circulation! It seems that the old 1983 design was too simple and easy to copy. The new one is far more complex in construction with features designed to the foil the forger.
So what does this mean for the old pound coin? Well, you can still use or exchange them until October 15th 2017. After that, they cease to be legal tender.
You might be thinking about all the things that use the old pound coin like vending machines, trolleys and lockers. What happens to them? Well, most of these are being updated to use the new coin alongside the old one. Most of the major supermarkets are in the process of doing it now.
Promotional Trolley Coins are one of our most popular products as they are truly useful and used on a regular basis. Both these factors help to maximise the branding or message carried on them. We have already sourced Trolley and Locker coins that are compatible with the new design. Whilst the old style trolley coins will be useful for the time being, it is worth looking to replace any you have with the new style versions.
