Are we not getting the new effigy of the Queen?

[Hercules]

I hope not - while the sketch that won the contest was quite good I don't think it's translated that well onto coins.
In any case, the theme of this year's mint set makes me think the change will happen within the next 12 months.

It does look like there may be a change in the HM portrait otherwise why the IRB effigy of an era theme.

I think the reason is that it's now been used for the same length of time as the Arnold Machin portrait - 19 consecutive years. There's so much idle speculation at the moment that I won't believe that the mint is switching to the Jody Clark portrait until they make a formal announcement or I actually see a photo of it on one of our coins. It's just not worth getting excited over something that may not happen.