Time has finally caught up with Queen Elizabeth II - on her money at least.
Her profile is visibly aged in a new coin portrait by Jody Clark that was unveiled on Monday. The royal image on Britain's coinage will, when this design goes into circulation later this year, be unmistakably that of an 88-year-old, including prominent wrinkles.
The dignity of the regal image can surely survive this numismatic realism. With her crown, big earring and half smile, the Queen looks as quietly authoritative on her latest coins as she did on her first in 1953. The Royal Mint changed her face in 1968, 1985 and 1998, making the new portrait the fifth.
Even these reluctant remodellings maintained an impression of timeless classical grace that made the ageing process almost unnoticeable - until now. In fact, the Queen has been idealised on her coinage far more than ancient rulers ever were.
This is the first fiscal image of her entire reign that lives up to the realism of ancient Roman coin portraits of emperors.
Nero, for instance, looks fat and puppyish on his coins. Romans liked their portraits realistic, and the imperial image on coins was frank because it needed to be authentic. Money must be the real thing.
However the royal head is portrayed, its presence puts Britain's coins in a very old tradition. Royal images have guaranteed the value of the pound, or serturtius, for millennia.