Obverse of 2004 Pound

United Kingdom One Pound Coin
In 2003 the British Royal Mint announced that starting in 2004, there would be a new series of designs for the One Pound coin. Since 1984, there have been pound coin designs which relating to each of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. These changed each year, plus a fifth "Royal" design, and there have now been two different series with repeats. The 2004 design will feature the Forth Railway Bridge representing Scotland.
The bridge was built to carry the two tracks of the North British Railway the 2.5 kilometres over the Firth of Forth, at a height of 46 metres above the high tide. The structure, with its three massive cantilever towers each 104 metres high, was designed by Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker, and constructed by Sir William Arrol. It was begun in 1883, and opened on 4th March, 1890, by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII).
Could this new bridge series be intended to soften up the British public for the introduction of the euro, bearing in mind the bridge designs as used on all the euro banknotes?

Forth Railway Bridge Representing Scotland on 2004 £1 Coin