SIR – Recently it was announced that a commemorative £2 coin is to be issued by the royal mint marking the First World War.

The main image planned replicates part of the poster featuring Lord Kitchener (pictured) calling on young men to respond to “Your Country Needs You” and Kitchener’s pointing finger. This appeared at the start of the war to encourage more and more young men to join up.

Many have been dismayed to find this particular image was chosen when the commemoration should be marking the deaths of millions and the futility of war, rather than glorifying one of the very people responsible for adding to the number of those who took part and died.

With this in mind, two petitions have been started online at change.org. People can a) sign to show their opposition to the choice of image for this coin and b) support the substitution of an alternative image, ie that of British Red Cross nurse Edith Cavell, a remarkably brave woman who was executed during the conflict, but in her last words bore no malice towards her country’s enemy.

David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose