God save the King, for giving us such pretty dosh!

Climate change and loose change combine to send out an important message, but Will Gore wonders how many people will even use the new coinage

Throughout his life, Will Gore has enjoyed hogging the cash (Getty)

Coins were a very important part of my childhood. When I was five or six, I was occasionally given pocket money – it was irregular and the amount varied. It might be 10p, perhaps a chunky twenty. A giant 50 pence piece was a rare thing indeed; and I’d probably have to wait for a birthday to see some gold pounds.

Weekly handouts became a thing when I was about seven, as my football sticker habit began to kick in. A few years later, when my brother and I were old enough to go to the local convenience store on our own, we’d nag a parent for our dosh early on Saturday morning – up to a quid then – and proceed to spend most of it on sweets, chocolate bars, crisps and fizzy drinks. I would put any change straight in my money box.