Prince William features on a new £5 coin to mark his 40th birthday, but fans are unsure of the currency likeness.
The Duke of Cambridge has his first solo outing on an official U.K. coin to mark the life milestone and the designer said he aimed to depict the royal's fresh energy as a young father.
However, some on social media felt the final outcome looked more like a young Paul Newman, star of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
One fan wrote on Twitter: "Why Paul Newman though?"
Another wrote "Coin looks like Paul Newman" while a third added: "Young Paul Newman?"
Coin looks like Paul Newman pic.twitter.com/0k9T1Aqdau
— My Opinion - Sussex Warrior 🐊 (@my_opnion) May 23, 2022
Some also pointed out Prince William appears to have been given more hair on the coin than he has in real life.
One wrote: "He Doesn't Have That Hair @ 40 :/ Talk About Fake Uk Nationalism."
Another Twitter user posted: "The £5 coin to mark Prince William's 40th birthday has more hair than he does."
Scottish comedian Janey Godley wrote: "Looks really like the man who used to drive the beer delivery for Tennents when I had the pub in the 90s, I think he was called Davie Denholm, he had a twin brother Terry who was a window cleaner and his maw did the Avon. I don't think it's him though-"
Looks really like the man who used to drive the beer delivery for Tennents when I had the pub in the 90s, I think he was called Davie Denholm, he had a twin brother Terry who was a window cleaner and his maw did the Avon. I don’t think it’s him though- https://t.co/ePKARFiptT
— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) May 23, 2022
Others, however, liked the coin with one posting: "I absolutely love this!! A gift fit for a future King."
Another wrote: "A memorable and deserving 40th Birthday gift to a hardworking, resilient and dedicated future King."
The confusion follows a similar reaction to a statue of Princess Diana that Prince Harry and Prince William unveiled at Kensington Palace to mark what would have been their mother's 60th birthday on July 1, 2021.
One Twitter user wrote at the time: "Ok, I'll be the first to say it, I'm underwhelmed by the statue. Not a good likeness of Diana and what is she wearing?"
Others compared the Diana statue to former U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May with one quoted in the Daily Mail writing: "There is a hint of Theresa May."
Thomas T. Docherty, The Royal Mint's designer, said in a press release: "The design strikes a balance between the fresh energy of His Royal Highness being a young dad with the ceremonial nature of his Royal position.
"A three-quarter angle of the portrait creates a more dynamic portrait rather than a traditional side-on profile. I used certain clay sculpting techniques on a digital platform to achieve the style needed for the design, to translate effectively from two to three dimensions.
"Using technology, we can now produce designs and sculptures with better efficiency compared to when I began my career 17 years ago. There's a high level of skills and craftsmanship needed to sculpt designs—the tools are different but the principles remain the same."
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Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
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