The Royal Mint has begun producing the first coins featuring King Charles III, which will be distributed into circulation in December.
According to a news release from the Royal Mint, they have started producing circulating coins that have a portrait of King Charles III on them that will be released to the public through the banks and post offices in December, transitioning from Queen Elizabeth II on the nation’s coins.
The new coin with King Charles III on them was announced by the Royal Mint on September 29. The BBC reported that he was the first king to be featured on coins in the United Kingdom since his grandfather, George VI, died in 1952.
The 50-pence coins with King Charles III on them was created by British sculptor Martin Jennings, according to the Today Show. Each coin shows King Charles III without a crown facing to the left, which was created to keep with the tradition of British kings. Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’ late mother, actually wore a crown in her coin image and faced the opposite direction.
According to the Today Show, the coin will also have a Latin description on it that means, “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith.”
The Royal Mint is the official maker of United Kingdom coins. According to the Royal Mint, the new coins with King Charles III’s portrait will represent the biggest United Kingdom coinage change since “decimalization.”
“The first coins bearing His Majesty King Charles III’s portrait are striking as we speak, and you can expect to see 50ps featuring the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design on the reverse side of the coins in your change before Christmas,” the Royal Mint said on Twitter.
📢 The first coins bearing His Majesty King Charles III's portrait are striking as we speak, and you can expect to see 50ps featuring the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design on the reverse side of the coins in your change before Christmas. @RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/QoOK5uiW4t
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) October 28, 2022
The Royal Mint said they are expecting to produce about 9.6 million 50 pence coins. According to People Magazine, the reason they produced 9.6 million coins was to honor Queen Elizabeth II, who died on at the age of 96 on Sept. 8.
The back side of the 50 pence will have a design on it that appeared at the 1953 Coronation Crown, according to the Royal Mint
“It was struck to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation at Westminster Abbey, and includes the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield. In between each shield is an emblem of the home nations; a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek,” said the Royal Mint.
The Royal Mint said that the coins with Queen Elizabeth II on them will remain legal and in active circulation. The Royal Mint said, according to the Today Show, that there are about 27 billion coins in circulation with Queen Elizabeth II on them.
The Royal Mint said that they released a memorial collection in honor of Queen Elizabeth II earlier in October. More information can be found on their website.
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