Michael Armitage to create new £1 coin design for 2023 circulation

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed at a Royal College of Art reception in Battersea that painter Michael Armitage will design the reverse of the new £1 coin. The coin enters circulation in early 2023, commemorating four decades since its 1983 debut. Armitage, who splits his time between London and Nairobi, stated his design will explore contemporary British identity. His selection follows previous designers including graphic artist Matthew Dent in 2008 and teenager David Pearce in 2017. Armitage studied at London's Slade School of Art in 2007 and the Royal Academy in 2010, becoming a Royal Academician this year. He is known for large-scale paintings on Ugandan lubugo bark cloth, blending East African influences with European masters like Gauguin and Goya. The artist also founded the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute, a nonprofit supporting East African contemporary art. The current 12-sided bimetallic coin was introduced in 2017 to address counterfeiting issues.