Queen's image on Australian commemorative coins likened to Shrek

Controversy surrounds the Australian commemorative coins honoring Queen Elizabeth II as some have likened her likeness on the coins to that of the grumpy ogre Shrek from popular children's films.

While designed by Royal Australian Mint artists, collectors and online enthusiasts point out the striking resemblance between the queen's portrait and characters from a 1990s film starring Robin Williams and an Irish sitcom featuring Brendan O'Carroll. In contrast, many feel that her depiction on the coins does not capture her regal presence as it would once etched in metal.

A Facebook post by the mint sparked debate, with one collector stating "Doesn't even look remotely like her." Another quipped about a possible oversight given the late queen's absence from finalizing the design. Despite this, some are praising the coin's artist for capturing an 'awesome' and 'beautiful' representation of the monarch.

It is worth noting that both $5 (£2.56) and 50c (26p) silver coins created by the Royal Australian Mint, which sold out quickly due to high demand from collectors, will not be entering general circulation. The coin's design features a front-facing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by symbols representing her life, including horses, corgis, theatre, art, and flowers, albeit with some resemblance to the Shrek character in question.

The 50c coins comprised 30,000 pieces while $5 coins numbered only 5,000.

Can you believe those coin designs? I mean, I get that they're trying to capture her essence, but seriously, it does look like Shrek's grumpy face on there . I remember buying those coins when they first came out and was really proud to have them in my collection... now I'm not so sure . And yeah, the Queen's likeness just doesn't seem as regal as you'd expect from a commemorative coin, but I guess that's what happens when you're trying to squeeze too much into one design. Still, I love that they made so many coins and sold them out quick - collectors are gonna be happy to see those 50c pieces gone !

OMG what's going on with these commemorative coins ? I mean, I get it, Queen Liz II is a historical figure and all but do we really need to scrutinize her likeness on coins so much? Like, isn't it just a representation? I saw some videos of the Shrek comparisons online and it's...fine, I guess. But what's weird is that people are actually saying they don't look like her at all . Like, where's the proof? Is this just a case of internet hype or is there something fishy going on?

And can we talk about how quickly these coins sold out? 5,000 $5 coins and 30,000 50c coins? That's a lot of people who wanted to buy them up. Maybe it's not the quality of the design that's the issue, but rather the demand for them? I dunno...I'm just curious about the behind-the-scenes stuff

omg i cant believe they got the queen's likeness so wrong like what even is shrek's face doing on an aussie coin tho? and yeah i feel the royal mint artists did her proud but still, its not exactly regal if you ask me those 50c coins sold out super fast btw, guess collectors are eager for some royal swag

lol what's up with these coins tho? I mean i get it, she's not exactly a supermodel but come on, its just a coin design its not like they're gonna put her real face on it lmao. 30k of 50c coins sold out in an hour is kinda crazy though, i guess people love queen elizabeth ii more than we thought. and can we pls just say shrek is the real queen of comedy here

The Australian government's move to honor Queen Elizabeth II on commemorative coins is pretty cool, but can we talk about how they didn't even think through the design? I mean, who thought a portrait that resembles Shrek would be an awesome representation of the queen? It's like they wanted to make a statement, but not necessarily in a good way. And now collectors are all upset because it doesn't accurately capture her "regal presence"... what does that even mean?!

It's also pretty wild that some people are praising the artist for their work when others are calling out the design as a major oversight. I think we should be focusing on how the coins will be used in circulation, not just how they look on the collector's shelf. Let's get real, these coins are selling out fast because of their limited edition status... that's more about capitalism than a genuine tribute to the queen

I'm loving the nostalgia vibes around these commemorative coins . I mean, who hasn't seen a Queen Elizabeth II portrait back in the day? It's like they took an old picture of her from, like, forever ago . I guess it's flattering that some people think she looks like Shrek now – like, what happened to the royal treatment? . Anyway, I'm not sure about the design being 'regal' or 'awesome', but hey, at least it's sparking conversations and making us think about the past again . And can we talk about how much demand there was for these coins?! 30,000 of those 50c ones sold out in no time? That's like, crazy !

I'm low-key obsessed with these commemorative coins, but can we talk about how the design is literally so... wonky? I mean, I love the idea of honoring Queen Elizabeth II, but like, her face on a coin should be, like, regal and majestic, not kinda grumpy ogre-esque . And don't even get me started on the resemblance to Shrek – it's like, totally uncanny!

But, you know, I guess some people might see it as, like, an oversight or something since the queen didn't get a chance to finalize the design before she passed away? Idk, maybe they just need to get their collectible on and start hunting for more coins .

I mean, can you imagine if Queen Liz II showed up on set of a Shrek reboot and was all like "I'm not grumpy, I just have a crown"? Anyway, gotta feel for the designers, it's not like they asked to draw her in their sleep or anything . And honestly, who needs to capture her regal presence on coins when you can make people think of an ogre? Silver coins sold out fast, guess that means all the Shrek fans in Australia are super happy now

I'm so over this whole fuss about the Queen's coin design ! Like, can we please just appreciate that she actually made it out of the grave? I mean, I know some people are gonna say "but it looks like Shrek" and honestly, I think that's kinda cute . It's a cartoonish version of her face, what did we expect - a realistic rendering of a 95-year-old queen? And by the way, who needs a regal presence on a coin anyway? It's just a shiny piece of metal . And let's not forget, she sold out quickly so collectors are totally gonna freak out if they don't get their hands on one .

OMG, this is like so funny ! I mean, can you even imagine if they did a Queen Elizabeth II coin that looked like the Queen from Game of Thrones? Like, no way would they just go with it . But at the same time, those who say her likeness on the coins looks like Shrek or whatever... I get it, but come on, it's not like the queen was in a cartoon to begin with. And honestly, she did look kinda grumpy when she was younger, so maybe that's where the resemblance is coming from . But still, I think the design is pretty cool, especially with all the symbols representing her life and stuff. It's just weird that collectors are freaking out about it and saying it doesn't even look like her . Like, what do you want them to put on there? Her actual face in metal? That'd be kinda creepy . Anyway, I'm just glad they made a bunch of coins already so people can collect them or whatever. It's not like the queen is still alive or anything .

I'm kinda curious about this whole coin thing . I mean, I get why people would think her likeness is similar to Shrek or that film guy... it's not like the artist was trying to go for a funny ogre vibe. But at the same time, I can see how some people would think it doesn't quite capture her regal presence. And yeah, with Queen Elizabeth II being gone and all, you'd think there'd be more attention put into getting the design right. Maybe the mint just didn't have enough time?

I did hear that collectors are loving the coins tho , even if they're not going to enter general circulation. I mean, who doesn't love a good collectible coin, right? It's kinda cool that there's some debate about it too - it shows people are actually interested in the art aspect of it. And those $5 and 50c coins sold out pretty quickly, so I guess that's a win for the mint !

I mean I see what's going on here... people are just being weird about it . Like, yes, the queen might look like Shrek for a second glance but come on, she's not exactly known for her ogre-like features . And can we talk about how these coins sold out so fast? I mean, I'm no collector, but 5k of $5 coins gone in seconds? That's some serious demand . I'm all for honoring the queen and her legacy, even if the design might not be to everyone's taste .

omg what a weird likeness , but at the same time kinda fitting right? like shrek is all about breaking royal etiquette and having a good laugh so maybe this is just mint's way of poking fun at the monarchy i mean who wouldn't want to see queen lizzy being ogre-y for once? but on the other hand some collectors might be expecting more, like a super formal and serious portrait. anyway these coins are already sold out which is cool because they're not gonna clutter up our wallets