When will the King Charles III coins be released?
Images of updated banknotes will be made public by the Bank of England at the end of this year; however, we can already see the new royal cypher for King Charles’s reign for ourselves.
The King’s new cypher includes the monarch’s initial of C combined with the letter R for Rex – Latin for king. In addition, III is tucked within the R, highlighting the title of Charles III, with the crown positioned above the letters.
The monogram is personal to Charles and was selected by the new monarch from a series of designs prepared by the College of Arms.
There will also be a Scottish version featuring the Scottish Crown, as approved by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
But when are the King Charles III coins released? Here’s everything you need to know.
When are the new King Charles III coins released?
The new coins featuring King Charles were released on September 29, and production of the coins began at the Royal Mint on October 28.
The King’s portrait will first appear on special £5 crown and 50p coins, commemorating his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The portrait adorning the coins was created by the British artist and sculptor Martin Jennings and has the approval of the King. He doesn’t wear a crown in the image. King Charles III is pictured facing to the left, in the opposite direction to Queen Elizabeth, and there is a Latin inscription that translates to “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith”.
On the £5 coin, the reverse features two new portraits of the late Queen in a design by artist John Bergdahl as well as the Royal Mint.
Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said: “For many people this will be the first time in their lives that they have seen a new monarch appear on money.
“It represents the biggest change to UK coinage since decimalisation and will usher in a new era where the coins of Queen Elizabeth II and Charles co-circulate in the UK.
What will the new King Charles cypher be used for?
It will be used by government departments and by the Royal Household for various purposes, such as on public buildings, street furniture, the Royal Mail, and more.
The process of phasing out the royal cyphers will be a gradual one, with Queen Elizabeth II’s own cypher still in place in the majority of locations currently.
Banknotes, coins and stamps with an image of King Charles III have also been announced. Coins and banknotes featuring both King Charles III and the late Queen Elizabeth II will co-circulate for “many years to come”, according to the Royal Mint.
New banknotes with the portrait of Charles are expected to enter circulation on all four denominations of the banknote by mid-2024.
According to the Bank of England, no other changes will be made to the polymer banknotes or their design.
At the moment, there are roughly 27 billion coins with the portrait of the Queen on, which will also be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn out.
As well as money, there are plans for fresh stamps to be made, including four released in memory of the late monarch. Special stamps will also feature a portrait of the King.
These new stamps will be available to buy from November 10, featuring images of the Queen in 1952, 1968, 1984 and 1996. All four images were released in the Golden Jubilee stamp issue in 2002 and were approved by the late Queen.