A Royal Mint engraver born in Windermere has designed the UK’s first ever £50 pound coin to celebrate the Queen’s record breaking reign.

Jody Clark, has seen his royal portrait of the Queen and new design of Britannia, a representation of Britain as a warrior, paired on the commemorative coin.

Mr Clark's new Britannia design is a contemporary take on this classic symbol of Britain, and his portrait of the Queen has been approved by the monarch herself.

Mr Clark said: “The Queen hasn’t aged that much since Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS created the last effigy, so I made some key changes that would make the new portrait stand out in its own right.

“The regalia I chose was key, I included the crown that Her Majesty wore at her coronation, I thought that was quite fitting.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling to know that something I created will be reproduced millions of times on the United Kingdom’s coins, and to think that The Queen herself has approved my design.”

Speaking about the experience, Mr Clark said: “Having my portrait of The Queen selected for Britain’s coinage was an incredible experience, but now, seeing the portrait combined with my Britannia design on the UK’s new £50 coin is a double honour.

“Becoming a Dad for the first time too has completed what has been an amazing year for me.”

The Royal Mint’s director of commemorative coin, Anne Jessopp, said that releasing the coin this year was particularly appropriate.

The director said: “It seems apt that these two familiar British figures, both designed by Jody Clark, feature together on the UK’s first face value £50 coin in the year that the Queen became Britain’s longest reigning monarch, and Britannia returned to the circulating coinage.”