The Royal Mint of the United Kingdom has revealed the first coins bearing the image of King Charles III. In December, Charles’ portrait will begin to appear on 50-pence coins in circulation in the United Kingdom.
Friday, the Royal Mint said that the effigy of the next monarch was made by British artist Martin Jennings and personally authorized by Charles. In accordance with custom, the king’s picture faces to the left, in contrast to that of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Chris Barker of the Royal Mint Museum stated, “Charles has followed the general British coinage tradition, dating back to Charles II, that the monarch looks in the opposite direction as their predecessor.”
During a press preview in London on Thursday, September 29, 2022, a Royal Mint employee displays a new commemorative Five pound coin with the official coinage picture of King Charles III. The coin will be among the first to show the new king’s head. Martin Jennings, a British sculptor, designed the king’s portrait, which was accepted by the king. Alastair Grant / AP
He is portrayed without a crown. “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith” is inscribed in Latin around the picture.
On Monday, a commemorative 5-pound coin honoring Elizabeth’s life and legacy will be issued. This coin portrays Charles on one side, and two fresh pictures of Elizabeth side-by-side on the other.
Since the reign of Alfred the Great, the Royal Mint, based in south Wales, has featured the British royal family on coins for over 1,100 years, illustrating each king.
Anne Jessopp, chief executive officer of the Royal Mint, remarked, “When we first began minting coins, it was the only method for people to know what the king genuinely looked like, unlike today with social media.” As we move forward, the face of King Charles will appear on every coin.
The sculptor, Jennings, stated that the portrait was carved from a photograph of Charles.
“It is the tiniest piece I’ve ever done, but it is humbling to know that it will be viewed and kept by people throughout the globe for generations,” he added.
Charles ascended to the throne on September 8 when his mother, Britain’s longest-reigning queen, died at the age of 96.
In the United Kingdom, over 27 billion coins carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s likeness are now in circulation. All will continue to circulate as legal money and will be replaced when they get damaged or worn.
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