The one pound coin came out in England on April 21, 1983. More durable and more useful than a banknote, it was intended to replace the one pound banknote that had its end of life set for late 1984.
As of 2014, three different portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, by three different designers, have been used on the front of the coin. The reverse of the coin represents the four parts of the UK — Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England — and is reworked much more frequently: as much as twice per year on average. Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Scotland still issue the one pound note.