What does the writing 'decus et tutamen' on a one pound coin mean?
Edge inscription: DECUS ET TUTAMEN ("An ornament and a
safeguard" - originally on 17th century coins, this refers to the
inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious
metal. The original appearance of the phrase is attributed to an
epic poem by Virgil - "viro decus et tutamen in armis" (Aeneid,
Book V, L. 262), describing a piece of armour, a breast-plate
interwoven with gold, which was awarded as a prize to Mnestheus.)
Designed byEric Sewell.[6]