Coin portrait of Queen compared to Mrs Doubtfire – ‘looks like she ran into a wall’

Commemorative coins were produced in Australia for the late Queen Elizabeth nearly four years on from her death, but the design has left people stunned and bemused

Two commemorative coins commissioned in Australia as a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth have been slammed by critics who said it “looked more like Mrs Doubtfire.”

The The $5 and 50 cent silver coins – created to commemorate the centenary of her birth – were released in an online ballot that closed on Wednesday. They left Aussies divided, with some Royal fans grateful for the effort gone in to recognising the late monarch.

But the coins came under fire from others who hit out at the way the Queen has been portrayed. Some have even said it looked like the late head of State if “she ran into a wall”.

The portrait shows Her Late Majesty looking to her left and giving a small smile while wearing a number of pearl necklaces and a pair of pearl earrings.

She is surrounded by various flowers, including roses and lilies of the valley, as the coin is engraved: “Centenary of the Birth of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”.

Other small elements of note on the coin made by the mint include horses and corgis, both of which the Queen was renowned for owning.

Sitting atop the Queen’s portrait is her Royal Cypher, which was stylised to include her own service to the military, in what the Mint described as “acknowledging her wartime service and lifelong sense of duty”.

However, after the design was officially released and published on the Mint’s Facebook page, many people said they were rather bemused at the way the Queen had been designed. Instead, there were more comparisons to Mrs Doubtfire, played by Robin Williams in the smash 1980s film.

“That’s got to be the most unpleasant portrait on a coin,” one user wrote. A second added: “There’s a reason most portraits are from the side; looks like she just ran into a wall.”

A third also gave their thoughts: “If I saw that face without the hairdo and pearls, would never guess who it was meant to be.” However, the Mint itself was quick to shoot back at the criticism being hurled at the design, defending the coin by saying: “Our coin images don’t always capture the full beauty of a design once it’s etched in metal.”

However, not all the feedback was entirely negative, as many commenters said they were happy to see the Queen honoured. One user said: “Awesome; I’m glad they put something out to do with Queen Elizabeth II, she deserves to have Recognition In a Special Way.”

Despite the criticism at the coin’s designs, roughly 30,000 editions of the 50cent coins have been printed, as well as 5,000 of the $5 coins. All of these coins have been regarded as collector’s items and are not expected to enter circulation or count as legal tender.

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