Last Updated on April 14, 2022
The year 1983 heralds the introduction of the new modern one pound coin, making the year significant for the United Kingdom. The coin entered circulation on 21st April 1983, during the Queen’s birthday.
Let’s dig deeper about this coin.
How much is a 1983 pound coin worth?
The 1983 pound coin worth is £2.99 because this coin is considered very common. The 1983 coin is the highest mintage of all the round pound coins, a total of 443,000,000.
What are the technical specifications of the 1983 pound coin?
The 1983 pound coin is made of Nickel-Brass, which is composed of 70% copper, 5.5% nickel and 24.5% zinc. The diameter of the coin is 22.5mm and has a weight of 9.5g with thickness 3.15mm.
Obverse
The obverse of the coin features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The design, which was designed by Arnold Machin, was adopted for decimalisation and has been used since 1968 on nearly all UK coinage. It was used until 1984.
Reverse
The reverse of the coin shows the Royal Arms.
Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendant of the Sovereigns of England of Scotland and Ireland.
As the embodiment of the Sovereignty of the said countries, Queen Elizabeth quarters their historic Arms.
Mint mark
The 1983 pound coin was the first British coin to be struck with a cross crosslet symbol on the milled edge or better known as the Llantrisant mint mark. They strike their coins in Llantrisant which means “Church or Parish of the Three Saints Illtyd, Gwynno and Dyfodwg.”
What is the inscription on a 1983 pound coin?
DECUS ET TUTAMEN ( “An ornament and a safeguard”) this is the edge inscription. The inscription is originally on 17th century coins and was designed to prevent clipping.
Why was the weight of the one pound coin decided?
Largely on the grounds of cost their basis on the weight of the coin. Also, the need to allow for higher denomination coins in due time.
The story behind the design
The obverse portrait of the Queen was used on all UK circulated coinage from 1968 to 1984. This was actually the second portrait of the Queen used on coinage.
The reverse, which was designed by Eric Sewell, shows the United Kingdom Royal Arms. The edge inscription is in Latin ‘DECUS ET TUTAMEN’ and was originally designed on coins so that the public could tell that the edge was complete.
Is a 1983 pound coin rare?
No, the 1983 pound coin is not rare. As said earlier, the mintage for this coin is the highest of all the round pound coins. so , it’s not surprising that this coin is considered common by collectors.
Can you swap old one pound coins?
There are a number of ways you can exchange or cash your old notes and £1 coins. The simplest way is through the bank. If you have a UK bank account, you can deposit it directly into your bank account.
The Post Office may also accept withdrawn notes as payment for services or goods. However, if by chance a note has been removed from circulation, a Post Office or your bank has no legal obligation to offer a monetary swap.
