People are only just noticing hidden secret on £1 coins and it’s blowing their minds

A HIDDEN secret has been revealed on the £1 coin and people are baffled that they never noticed this small detail before. Social media users have now vowed to examine the next £1 coin they get their hands on. The 1 pound coin has many details that make it more difficult to counterfeit Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire One Reddit user noticed that the coins have ‘one pound’ written along the edges in small writing Credit: Stotallytob3r/Reddit Reddit users have been discussing all the many details on a £1 coin that they never noticed before and what purpose they actually serve. The official maker of British coins, Royal Mint, introduced the 12 sided one pound coin in 2017 replacing the round version which was first put into circulation in 1983. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! A person on Reddit shared an image of the current coin’s edge, bringing attention to the small writing often missed. The user wrote “TIL (today I learned) pound coins have ‘one pound’ written along the edge in teeny tiny writing.” Many questioned what was the point of this detail, with some answering it was just one of many anti-counterfeit measures that was taken in order to make it more difficult to replicate. One knowledgeable user said: “This is part of what’s called the filigree, which is a decorative part of a coin to basically stop fraud.” Royal Mint has previously explained the reason for switching from the circular coins to the 12-sided version was to crack down on counterfeiters. It has said: “The round £1 coin was replaced for the first time in over 30 years because of its vulnerability to sophisticated counterfeiters. Approximately one in 30 round £1 coins in circulation was a counterfeit. Most read in Money “We introduced a new, highly secure coin on March 28, 2017 to reduce the costs of counterfeits to businesses and the taxpayer. “Businesses across the UK upgraded their machines to accept the new £1 coin. Some waited until July 2017, when there were more new £1 coins in circulation than round £1 coins. While you may find “one pound” lettering on the heads side of your £1, you can also expect to see the year it was made on the tails side of the coin. Comment now