Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The most recently minted £1 coin features Charles III. If you were to place that coin next to the previous £1, you'd notice Charles is looking at his mum. Which begs the question: Why do the faces on coins face different directions?
Today Tom Hockenhull (Keeper of Money and Medals at the British Museum) is going to answer that very question (or both of those questions really) through the cunning use of 500-years of English coinage. You'll find out why the faces of English Kings and Queens alternate, when this started, why this might have started, and why this tradition has been broken 😱 in at least 1 instance.
1:06 Coinage of King Henry VII
1:18 Why we didn't bother with earlier coins
1:51 Coinage of King Henry VIII 'Old Copper Nose'
2:36 Coinage of King Edward VI
2:44 Coinage of Queen Mary I and King Philip of Spain
3:19 Coinage of King James I
3:34 Coinage of King Charles I from Oxford Mint
4:38 Coinage of Oliver Cromwell
4:51 Coinage of King Charles II
5:20 Coinage of King William and Queen Mary II
5:35 Mule coin of Queen Anne
6:08 Cartwheel penny of King George III
6:42 Coinage of King George IV and a waiter from Leicester Square
7:07 Coinage and designs of King William IV
7:48 £5 gold coin of Queen Victoria
9:30 Coin of King Edward VII (sorry mate)
9:39 1933 Penny of King George V
10:12 Why faces on coins face in opposite directions?
10:42 Did King Charles II intentionally face away from Oliver Cromwell on coinage?
11:00 Why King Edward VIII faces the wrong way on coins?
12:06 1953 Coin and plaster model of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Mary Gillick
12:29 How a reducing machine works for coin minting
13:50 New coins of King Charles III
CONTENT WARNING:
Features Tom Hockenhull in Human Form
Also features Tom Hockenhull in Coin Form.
And before you ask, yes we could have done all of the Kings and Queens of England. And yes, had we done that, we could have done the Horrible Histories' 'English Monarchs Song'. I promise, that was the plan. It was just too many coins. I genuinely think we'd still be shooting the video right now had we done it. Maybe next time.
The most recently minted £1 coin features Charles III. If you were to place that coin next to the previous £1, you'd notice Charles is looking at his mum. Which begs the question: Why do the faces on coins face different directions?
Today Tom Hockenhull (Keeper of Money and Medals at the British Museum) is going to answer that very question (or both of those questions really) through the cunning use of 500-years of English coinage. You'll find out why the faces of English Kings and Queens alternate, when this started, why this might have started, and why this tradition has been broken 😱 in at least 1 instance.
1:06 Coinage of King Henry VII
1:18 Why we didn't bother with earlier coins
1:51 Coinage of King Henry VIII 'Old Copper Nose'
2:36 Coinage of King Edward VI
2:44 Coinage of Queen Mary I and King Philip of Spain
3:19 Coinage of King James I
3:34 Coinage of King Charles I from Oxford Mint
4:38 Coinage of Oliver Cromwell
4:51 Coinage of King Charles II
5:20 Coinage of King William and Queen Mary II
5:35 Mule coin of Queen Anne
6:08 Cartwheel penny of King George III
6:42 Coinage of King George IV and a waiter from Leicester Square
7:07 Coinage and designs of King William IV
7:48 £5 gold coin of Queen Victoria
9:30 Coin of King Edward VII (sorry mate)
9:39 1933 Penny of King George V
10:12 Why faces on coins face in opposite directions?
10:42 Did King Charles II intentionally face away from Oliver Cromwell on coinage?
11:00 Why King Edward VIII faces the wrong way on coins?
12:06 1953 Coin and plaster model of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Mary Gillick
12:29 How a reducing machine works for coin minting
13:50 New coins of King Charles III
CONTENT WARNING:
Features Tom Hockenhull in Human Form
Also features Tom Hockenhull in Coin Form.
And before you ask, yes we could have done all of the Kings and Queens of England. And yes, had we done that, we could have done the Horrible Histories' 'English Monarchs Song'. I promise, that was the plan. It was just too many coins. I genuinely think we'd still be shooting the video right now had we done it. Maybe next time.
