In 2003, the Royal Mint released a special Limited Issue Bridges £1 One Pound Silver Proof Pattern 4 Coin Set all struck in solid .925 Sterling Silver.
This magnificent collection comprises four pattern pieces which are forerunners to a new series of £1 One Pound Silver Proof Coins. Like their proposed legal tender counterparts, they each carry Ian Rank Broadley's portrait of the Queen on the obverse, while each reverse features a bridge representative of one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. On each reverse, too, the customery beading of the £1 One Pound Silver Proof Coin has been replaced with a decorative border inspired by the bridge depicted on the coin.
Unlike the legal tender coins, the pattern pieces have a plain edge and so continue the custom of striking plain edged specimens for collectors. The only marking on the edge is the hallmark which sets these pieces apart and guarantees their provenance as Royal Mint patterns. These pattern coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.
