New coins featuring King Charles’ portrait were unveiled, with a 50p featuring his image entering general circulation within a few weeks.
BBC News got a first glimpse of the 50p and a £5 commemorative crown, which includes an image of the King by British sculptor Martin Jennings.
The coins follow a centuries-old tradition, with the monarch now facing left – the opposite direction to his predecessor.
As with previous British kings, unlike the queen, he does not wear a crown.
King Charles personally approved the effigy and was pleased with the likeness.
The coins will be sold to collectors by The Royal Mint from early next week. The 50p coin will be available for general use well before the end of the year and will be distributed by banks, building societies and post offices as needed.
They will circulate along with coins featuring the late Queen, so these 27 billion coins will continue to be accepted in stores.
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Anne Jessopp, managing director of The Royal Mint, said coins generally lasted 20 years, so both Queen Elizabeth and King Charles coins will circulate together for many years to come.
From early next year, coins ranging from 1p to £2 that we use in everyday life will be minted with the same image of King Charles. They are sent out as needed to replace damaged and worn out older coins and to meet the additional needs.
“People shouldn’t worry if they have coins with the Queen. We will keep these coins in circulation,” Ms Jessopp said. “We’re seeing people transition to different forms of payment, but people also enjoy using coins for many different reasons.”
The official portrait was intended to give the king an approachable look, and the same goes for the inscription.
Previous British monarchs were referred to by the Latin version of their names on the inscription. However, the new coins say Charles III rather than Carolus.
The full inscription surrounding the effigy reads “CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 5 POUNDS • 2022”, abbreviated from Latin, which translates to “King Charles III, by the grace of God, Defender of the Faith” means. .
The reverse of the new £5 coin features two new portraits of the Queen, charting her journey from young monarch to long-serving head of state.
On the 50p coin, the reverse is a copy of the design used on the 1953 crown minted to commemorate the Queen’s coronation.
The portrait of King Charles is Martin Jennings’ first coin design, but his public sculptures include the poets John Betjeman at St Pancras Station in London and Philip Larkin in Hull.
He used photographs to develop the design rather than sitting the king for a specific portrait.
“It’s the smallest work I’ve created, but I’m humbled to know that it will be seen and held by people around the world for centuries to come,” he said.
The coins are minted at the Royal Mint’s site in Llantrisant, South Wales, where the official mint manufacturer – and Britain’s oldest company – relocated in 1967 to facilitate the decimalisation process.
Before decimalization, it was common for people to carry coins of different monarchs in their pockets.
A range of commemorative coins commemorating the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth, including the £5 crown, will go on sale by The Royal Mint on Monday.
- It is one of the oldest companies in the world and struck its first coin in the late 9th century, during the reign of Alfred the Great
- The Mint has been based in the Tower of London for most of its existence, but Llantrisant at Rhondda Cynon Taf has been its home since the late 1960s
- The current facility was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on December 17, 1968, just in time for the daunting task of replacing the billions of coins in circulation before decimalization
- There are more than 27 billion coins in circulation in the UK, with the Mint issuing around a billion new coins each year – although this figure fluctuates.
Regardless, people are being urged to check if they have paper notes at home as they will be phased out by the weekend.
Shops will be banned from accepting Adam Smith £20 notes and Matthew Boulton and James Watt £50 notes from Saturday.
In addition to these Bank of England notes, £20 and £50 paper notes issued by the Clydesdale Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Bank of Scotland will also be withdrawn on the same day.
The £20 paper notes issued by the Bank of Ireland, AIB Group, Danske Bank and Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland will also be phased out.
Anyone who misses the deadline should still be able to exchange the old notes at their bank.
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