A 50p coin with King Charles’s picture will go into widespread circulation in the coming weeks, according to newly disclosed coins bearing his likeness.
The commemorative £5 Crown and 50p, both of which include a carving of the King by British sculptor Martin Jennings, were initially seen to BBC News.
The monarch is now facing left, the opposite direction from his predecessor, on the coins, keeping with centuries of custom.
He doesn’t wear a crown, unlike the Queen and earlier British kings.
The effigy was given King Charles’ personal approval, and it is believed that he was satisfied with the likeness.
The Royal Mint will start selling the coins to collectors early the next week. Banks, building societies, and post offices will distribute the 50p coin in accordance with demand well before the year is over.
These 27 billion coins will continue to be accepted in stores since they will circulate alongside coins honoring the late Queen.
Since coinage typically endure 20 years, according to Anne Jessopp, chief executive of The Royal Mint, both the Queen Elizabeth and King Charles coins will continue to be in use for many years to come.
From the start of next year, coins from the 1p to the £2, which we use in day-to-day life, will be minted carrying the same image of King Charles. They will be sent out when needed to replace damaged and worn older coins and to cover any extra demand.
“People should not worry if they have coins with the Queen on. We will keep those coins in circulation,” Mrs Jessopp said. “We are seeing people moving to different forms of payment, but people really like to use coins as well for lots of different reasons.”
The plan was personally authorized by King Charles.
The official image and the inscription both aim to present the King in an approachable light.
The Latinized version of each previous British monarch’s name appears on the inscription. The new coins, however, read Charles III rather than Carolus.
King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith is written in full around the effigy as “CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 5 POUNDS • 2022,” which is shortened from Latin.
The new £5 coin’s reverse features two fresh images of the Queen, tracing her development from a child monarch to a seasoned head of state.
The reverse of the 50p coin is an exact replica of the 1953 Crown coin produced to mark the coronation of the Queen.
The late Queen is honored on the reverse of the two coins.
Martin Jennings’ first coin design features the likeness of King Charles, but he has also created public sculptures of poets including John Betjeman in London’s St. Pancras Station and Philip Larkin in Hull.
Instead of the King posing for a particular portrait, he created the design from photographs.
“It is the smallest work I have created, but it is humbling to know it will be seen and held by people around the world for centuries to come,” he said.
The official coin maker and Britain’s oldest business, The Royal Mint, relocated to Llantrisant, south Wales, in 1967 to meet the decimalization process, and this is where the coins will be made.
People frequently carried coins featuring several kings in their purses before decimalization.
The Royal Mint will begin selling a collection of memorial coins, including the £5 Crown, to honor Queen Elizabeth’s life and legacy.
The Royal Mint is what?
It is among the oldest businesses in the world, having produced its first currency in the late 9th century, under Alfred the Great’s rule.
For the most of its existence, the Mint was housed inside the Tower of London, but since the late 1960s, it has called Llantrisant in Rhondda Cynon Taf home.
In order to complete the enormous work of replacing the billions of coins in circulation before to decimalization, the new facility was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on December 17, 1968.
In the UK, there are more over 27 billion coins in use, and although this number varies, the Mint typically issues one billion new coins each year.
Separately, residents are being asked to examine their homes to see whether they have any paper currency because it will be phased out by the weekend.
Starting this Saturday, stores are not allowed to take the £20 Adam Smith and £50 notes with the pictures of Matthew Boulton and James Watt.
The paper £20 and £50 notes issued by Clydesdale Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Bank of Scotland will also be withdrawn on the same day as these Bank of England banknotes.
Additionally, the paper £20 notes produced by Northern Ireland’s Bank of Ireland, AIB Group, Danske Bank, and Ulster Bank will no longer be in use.
The old notes can still be exchanged at the bank for those who miss the deadline.
