2002 Three Lions £1 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin

The 2002 Three Lions £1 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin is the fourth issue in The Royal Mint's Series IV national heraldic emblems series, which ran from 1999 to 2003.

Starting in 1984, it was decided that British £1 coins would feature different reverse designs for each of the four parts of the United Kingdom. The fifth and final coin in each series would always feature the Royal Coat of Arms, combining all four parts of the UK into one design.

• Fineness: 0.925 sterling silver
• Finish: Proof
• Exempt from Capital Gains Tax
• Mintage: 6,599 coins
• Presentation: Royal Mint Display Box
• Weight: 19g
• Diameter: 22.50mm

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Royal Mint Official Partner

Chards is an official partner of The Royal Mint. Our Royal Mint products, are sourced directly from their mint headquarters in Llantrisant, Wales.

Edge of 2002 Three Lions £1 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin

The edge is not only milled but also inscribed. The inscription in Latin reads:

"DECUS ET TUTAMEN"

Which may be translated as "an ornament and a safeguard". This inscription dates back to the first machine-struck coins minted in 1662 and was a device to prevent "clipping", and was used on the first pound coin in 1983.

Llantrisant Mint Mark

On the milled edge of the coin is the Llantrisant mint mark - a cross crosslet. The shape of the cross alluding to Llantrisant, which translated from the Welsh means "Church or Parish of the Three Saints".

Three Lions

The one pound coin for 2002 represents England with a reverse depicting the Royal Crest of England, for centuries the proud emblem of English Kings and Queens, as previously used on the pound coins of 1997. The 1997 pound uses the third portrait, while the 2002 uses the newer fourth portrait introduced in 1998.

It is thought that the three lions may have come to England from Normandy but it was Richard the Lionheart (1189 - 1199) who, especially during the Crusades, used the three golden lions on their scarlet background as a powerful symbol of the English Throne.

The Crest appeared on his second Great Seal and thereafter three lions passant guardant have been known as "England". As such, the Crest has appeared on the Royal Arms of every succeeding monarch and, today, is even employed to represent England in the sporting world.

Popularity in Football

Typing "Three Lions" into various search engines will likely bring up the classic 1996 UK song, which often rises in popularity on UK charts during major tournaments like the Football Euros or the World Cup. This song encapsulates the hope that England will break their long-standing drought, having not won a major trophy since their 1966 World Cup victory.

In that historic match, Sir Geoff Hurst scored the first World Cup hat-trick to secure a win against West Germany at Wembley Stadium. As Euro 2024 approaches, it has now been 58 years since England's last major triumph.

See our sports coins of the world coin collection.

The obverse bears the fourth portrait of The Queen introduced in 1998.

The English one pound coin features three lions passant guardant.

The design is modelled by Norman Sillman from a drawing by the College of Arms.