Which historical figures are being honoured on new coins?

Coins celebrating the achievements of Jane Austen and Sir Isaac Newton are among a new set of designs which will start appearing in people's wallets this spring.

Unveiling the new designs for 2017, the Royal Mint said they have a "strong pioneering theme".

A £2 coin design will remember the Royal Flying Corps and its contribution to the defence of Britain's skies in the First World War using new aircraft technology. In 1918 the Royal Flying Corps became the Royal Air Force.

And a Jane Austen £2 coin will celebrate the Pride And Prejudice and Sense And Sensibility author, 200 years after her death.

A Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin will mark the achievements of one-time Master of the Royal Mint, whose wide-ranging work paved the way for the introduction of the "gold standard" system for valuing a nation's currency.

Meanwhile, a new 12-sided £1 coin, which will enter circulation in March and eventually replace the "round pound", will feature the flora of the four nations of the UK emerging from a coronet.

Dr Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said: "This is a particularly significant year in Royal Mint history as we welcome in the new 12-sided £1 coin, with its innovative security features.

"This year we also mark the achievements of Jane Austen, Sir Isaac Newton and the Royal Flying Corps - all pioneers in their own field. The British public should start to see these coins appearing in their change from spring 2017."