The new 12-sided £1 coin - which comes into circulation today - has a hidden security feature to make it difficult to counterfeit.

It is thought to involve material inside the coin itself which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.

SEE ALSO: When is the new 12-sided pound coin introduced and when will the old £1 stop being legal tender?

But officials at the Royal Mint have not released any further details.

Other security measures include an image that works like a hologram, and micro-sized lettering inside both rims.

As a result, the Mint claims it will be the "most secure coin in the world".

Borehamwood Times:

It will replace the existing £1 coin, of which about one in 40 are thought to be fake.

"It's been designed to be fit for the future, using security features that aim to safeguard our currency, and currencies around the world, for years to come," said Adam Lawrence, chief executive of the Royal Mint.

The old coin will remain legal tender until 15 October this year, after which shops are under no obligation to accept it.

After that date, consumers will have to take the coin to a bank to exchange it.

Supplies of the new coin have initially been delivered to 33 banks and post offices around the UK.

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