AIBU to think changing coin design is silly as they will all need changing soon anyway?

[missknows]

Bit of a pointless post but I'm up night feeding. Just read that the one pound coin is being replaced. First thought was- what's the point when all will need changing soon anyway (when the queen dies) and even that she might not live to see this change as it's scheduled for 2017. Is this unreasonable? I do actually really like the Queen before anyone thinks otherwise, but she is getting very old! Feel a bit heartless thinking that.

They don't take them all out of circulation as soon as she dies though. There were lots of George 5th or 6th (or whatever her father was) coins around all through the 70s, long after his death. They may as well continue putting out new QE2 coins for the foreseeable future.

Also, if there's a 3 year lead way on new designs then they can just stop making money. She might live until she's as old as her Mum was.

*can't stop

Yes used to have loads of George coins in my childhood (70's/80's)

Presumably the OP is thinking that it is pointless to do a redesign when there will have to be another redesign anyway when the Queen dies. I don't think she is suggesting all the money is replaced.

THat redesign has probably already been drafted and mostly approved. I can't imagine the royal mint will wake up the day after the Queen dies and think "Bugger, best cancel all that work we had planned and start working out how we're going to fit Charles' ears on all these coins."

The OP definitely reads as if she expects all the current coins to be collected in and replaced.

Isn't the change to stop fakes being so easily made? I was surprised at just how many dodgy ones there are in circulation.

They change designs all the time anyway - there have been 4 different obverse designs (the Queen's head side) 9 different edges and at least 30 reverse designs, so it's not going to be much of a problem to put Charles's head on the new shape instead if they need to.

Or perhaps the Royal Mint know something we don't - the Queen becomes the longest reigning monarch on 10th September 2015, so maybe she's planning to stay just till then.....