Which way does the Queen look? It seems that she would be good at crossing roads because she is constantly looking both ways. No, it’s not a bad joke (don’t try to find humour there, I don’t think there is any). It relates to her image on stamps and coins of the realm.

See what I mean? Apparently the convention is that the monarch’s image on coins the alternates in the direction their profile faces (meaning Charles ought to face the other way when / if he becomes king) for some obscure reason lost in time. I am not sure what happens to stamps but from the ones I have seen the monarchs all seem to face left.

I was reminded of this when looking at a stamp earlier. As well as the interesting trivia above, it also got me thinking about what it means to have the monarch’s head on coins and stamps. It is a mark of authenticity, it is a statement that we can trust the value of the coin or stamp, it represents a pledge that the coin and stamp will be accepted in exchange for goods or delivery of post.

So when we reflect that we carry the King of kings’ hallmark, God’s Spirit, as a guarantee of our eternal destiny, it is also saying that we are authentic, we should be trustworthy and that we are acceptable to God. Even though God sees everything (looks in all directions) I would also recommend we continue to look both ways when crossing roads.

An honest lawyer, an underpaid merchant banker, an old man, a fairy, 2 pixies and Santa are walking along the street.They come across a coin lying in the road. Who picks it up?

The old man. Because the others don’t exist.