Michael Armitage to Design New £1 Coin

It has been announced that artist Michael Armitage will design a new £1 coin that will enter into circulation in the UK in 2023. Armitage’s design for the reverse or “tails” side of the coin will mark the currency’s 40th anniversary. 

At the announcement at the Royal College of Art on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who chose the artist on the advice of an independent panel of experts, said that Armitage’s new design will celebrate the “culture, creativity, and heritage and history” of the UK in the 21st century. 

Armitage, who was born in Kenya and currently lives and works in Nairobi and London, added, “It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Royal Mint on the design of the new £1 coin. It is an honour to be part of the lineage of coin-making in the United Kingdom and I am grateful to the Chancellor and the selection panel for the opportunity to contribute to this history in considering what it is to be part of Great Britain today.”

Learn more about Armitage’s selection and the coin at gov.uk.

Cover image: Michael Armitage, 2022. Photo by Tom Jamieson