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Two coins commemorating the late Queen Elizabeth II have been slammed for making her look like she ‘just ran into a wall’.
The Royal Australian Mint released the two coins to mark 100 years since Queen Elizabeth’s birth and her ‘remarkable life of devotion and humanity’.
The $5 (£2.56) and 50c (26p) silver coins depict the Queen, who died at the age of 96 in 2022, surrounded by symbols her life, such as corgis and horses.
However, social media users said the front-facing portrait ‘doesn’t even look remotely like her’.
The Queen is surrounded by images of her life and passions, but its the portrait which has received so much attention
The artwork was compared to the cartoon character Shrek and Mrs Doubtfire, played by Robin Williams in the 1990s film.
One commentator joked: ‘Did she forget to put her teeth in on the sitting day?’
While another collector said: ‘Is this what happens when the queen is not around to approve the design?’
One Facebook user added: ‘There’s a reason most portraits are from the side. Looks like she just ran into a wall.’
The backlash was so strong that it prompted the Royal Australian Mint to release a statement defending their coins.
They said their ‘coin images don’t always capture the full beauty of a design once it’s etched in metal.’
The organisation stressed the coin was ‘palace approved’, adding that it reflected ‘the many facets of Queen Elizabeth II’s life and legacy.’
Collectors think the Queen looked rather different in real life (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
They continued: ‘At the heart of the coin is a portrait by Royal Australian Mint artist Aleksandra Stokic, rendered with warmth and dignity. One hundred years after her birth, the portrait reflection on a reign that shaped an era.’
Either way the metalwork has been a hit among collectors, with local media reporting the silver proof coins have sold out.
According to the mint’s website, it created 30,000 of the 50c coins and 5,000 of the $5 pieces.
They are all collector’s items and won’t enter general public circulation.
The back of the coins features a portrait of King Charles.
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