King Charles III further establishes his monarchy through the release of coins featuring his likeness, read to find out about the specific design choices of the new coins.
Following the centuries of maintained tradition, The Royal Mint, with the approval from Britain's current Monarch, King Charles III has officially announced new coins of 50p and £5 that feature the image of the monarch, reports The Guardian.
Who designed the portrait and how does this affect the coinage that is already in circulation, which features the late Queen Elizabeth II? Additionally, what are the future plans for The Royal Mint?
First coin design
The newly minted coin, featuring a portrait of King Charles, was designed by sculptor Martin Jennings. This marks the first time Jennings has created a coin design featuring the Monarch's likeness. Instead of having the king sit for a specific portrait, Jennings used photographs of him to come up with the design, reports BBC.
The result is an elegant depiction of the king, capturing his regal demeanor and distinctive features, which as per traditions, faces the opposite direction of the previous Monarch. The coin is a testament to Jennings' talent and skill as a sculptor, and is sure to become a beloved collector's item, which is what The Royal Mint intends to do with the 50p coin alongside the usage by the general public.
Jennings noted:
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.
The BBC further reports that the reverse of the 50p coin features a copy design of the 1953 Crown coin which was then created in commemoration of the Queen's coronation. On the £5 coin, two portraits of the Queen are featured that showcase her journey from being a newly appointed monarch to the leader of the state.
The inscription surrounding the image of King Charles reads 'CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 5 POUNDS • 2022' which is the shortened Latin version of 'King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith,' reports BBC.
Future plans
According to the BBC, the new coins featuring King Charles will co-circulate with coins featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II. This means that the 27 billion coins featuring the Queen will still be accepted in shops and businesses.
Anne Jessopp, the chief executive of The Royal Mint, has said that coins generally last for around 20 years, which means that both Queen Elizabeth and King Charles coins will be in circulation for several years to come. Additionally, from next year, the 1p and £2 coins will also be minted with the image of King Charles. It was also was noted that the 50p coin has already entered circulation on Thursday.
Jessopp noted:
People should not worry if they have coins with the Queen on. We will keep those coins in circulation. We are seeing people moving to different forms of payment, but people really like to use coins as well for lots of different reasons.
Read more:
⋙ Reason why King Charles refused to accept calls from Prince Harry
⋙ King Charles III won't be following this Christmas tradition
⋙ Meghan and Harry's Christmas absence will be King Charles' biggest challenge
