in brief:1,000 have designs on new pounds 2 coin

A swan, a lottery ball, Stonehenge and a sliced loaf of bread are among the design proposals for the new pounds 2 coin in the national competition to find a symbol of British identity.

The Royal Mint has had more than 1,000 applications for the competition which closed yesterday and the most popular themes for the design of the coin to be launched next year emerged as maps, animals, birds, buildings and transport.

The winner of the competition will receive pounds 10,000 and their initials will be included on the coin. A committee, chaired by the Duke of Edinburgh, will pick the final design in the summer.