By Andrew Pierce for Telegraph.co.uk

The Queen’s coat of arms is at the heart of the biggest changes to the British currency in 40 years which the Royal Mint will unveil tomorrow.

The designs for the reverse of the coins, from the one pence piece to the pound, have been a closely guarded secret.

But the Telegraph has learnt that the new pound coin features the traditional shield design from the Royal coat of arms.

The lower-denomination coins will feature close-up details of the shield which, when fitted together, show the shield as a whole.

The sovereign’s coat of arms has evolved over many years and reflects the history of the monarchy and country.

In the design the shield shows the Royal emblems of different parts of the United Kingdom: the three lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and the harp of Ireland in the third. Read Full Article in the Telegraph