Almost every year the Royal Mint produces a different design for the reverse of the pound coin. One of the first things I noticed when I returned this time was that one of the newer designs was for the Forth Rail Bridge, at least I think it was the Forth bridge – it was difficult to tell as the quality of the coin was appalling, the quality of the stamping was awful. “Standards really have fallen whilst I’ve been away,” I thought to myself, “or else it’s a fake.”
But who would fake a pound coin? There really can’t be much of a profit margin on that. At least until I got these three coins in my change yesterday…
After the revelation that I attend pub quizzes, what’s left of my reputation isn’t going to stand up to me admitting to being a coin collector (notice how I cleverly didn’t use the word “numismatist” and make things even worse?), so anything I now say is the result of extensive internet research, okay?
I might not have spotted it in the dim light as I received the change last night, but the coin in the middle looks a bit odd, doesn’t it? As well as being a different colour to the other two and the general poor finish, there are several puzzling points: The reverse design is the Scottish thistle with diadem, designed by Leslie Durbin and used on the 1984 and 1989 coin, whereas the obverse has the most recent portrait of the Queen and bears the date 2004. Also, rather than the complementary inscription stamped into the side being the Latin motto of the Order of the Thistle, “Nemo me impune Lacessit” (No one provokes me with impunity), it has “Pleidiol Wyf I’m Gwlad” which, as we all know, was only used in 1985, 90, 95 and 2000. Resistivity testing revealed a rho-value of 7.8 × 10-6 Ohm metres, which is well outside tolerance parameter limits. Additionally, the weight of the coin was only 78.7% of the median norm. Taken together, this had led me to believe that it might be a counterfeit.
Apart from that, the sprayed-on, gold car paint that it was covered with was starting to flake off…..
Added: Of course, if one is going to accept fake cash, better a quid than a €600 note. In English here.
German Word For Today: “Falschgeld” - Not coins, surely?
Song playing as this was published: The Zutons “It’s The Little Things We Do”
Uh… Wha?
Oh a fake? Either keep it for “posterity” or try fobbing it off.
I wore an English football jersey today. The Germans didn’t seem to appreciate this for some reason. Ten German… um, how does it go?
Nate: If I’d just googled for “fake pound coins” rather than actually trying to work out why it “looked wrong” (that’d be because it was made of base metal covered in gold paint) I’d have found out that at least 1 in a hundred pound coins are fake. And written a more concise and understandable blog entry….
I still can’t see how this is worthwhile though - this is a coin with a face value equivalent to €1,40 that apparently costs at least half of that to produce - so everytime you try to use one to buy something (and machines reject them. Apparently. Obviously I would never try to put a fake coin back into circulation) you risk being “the guy with the dodgy money” - for the sake of 70 cents. I can think of better get-rich-quick schemes. And I can share them with you too! Just send a money order for 10 dollars to…..
On the football front - (y)our German hosts are infinitely more tolerant than most of my fellow countrymen. And even though I would love it* if England won, if the insane commentary from the BBC (ridiculously positive) or the Guardian (self-loathing) continues, I might decide to support the Netherlands or Sweden after all.
*any inference to former Newcastle managers strictly intended….
Nate & AF - I have worn England shirts in Germany quite a few times (My fave was going down the pub with an England shirt straight after we beat them 5-1 in Munich…..ahh, happy days days……but I digress)
But wearing an England shirt made me feel like a blonde with large breasts. Everyone just stares at your chest. Quite a weird feeling really
Haddock: as a brunette I find your stereotype offensive - I might not have blonde hair, but that doesn’t mean lots of German men haven’t stared at my chest… Admittedly, it did depend upon the t-shirt I was wearing though…. The one that has the scoreline from Sep 1st 2001 on it does draw some attention.
AF - That was my PC wallpaper for many year!
I’m a German living in Frankfurt, and I also support the England team. I ordered a Rooney jersey, and I hope it will be shipped in time for the match against Paraguay on Saturday (for which, miraculously, I managed to get a CHEAP ticket for ROW 6 LAST WEEK through a friend who knows lots of people (love you Sven!!!). Until then, I will don my “Deutschland wird Weltmeister” T-shirt on Friday, next Wednesday and the 20th, and my England-scarf on all the other days. Let’s see the person who dares to beat up a 5″3′ Brunette with glasses
(AND large breasts… which people these days are staring at, male and female alike, but because of the “Welcome to Frankfurt - I speak English/Bienvenue à Francfort - Je parle français”-buttons - at least I tell myself that)
Nicolette: Whilst I felt safe (relatively) wearing a Germany 1 : England 5 t-shirt in Germany, I’m not so sure I want to be clothed in any official DFB gear when I’m out in public here.
Obviously I’m not in the slightest bit jealous of your ticket for Saturday, he said through gritted teeth - I hope you have a great experience. Hopefully Germany and England can somehow manage to avoid each other AND get to the final, and get a” Deutschland wird Vize-Weltmeiste”r t-shirt made up.