The British Mint presented this Wednesday the first coins with the portrait of King Charles III. This is one of the many changes that the United Kingdom will experience after the death of Elizabeth II.
Britons will start to see the image of their new monarch on their change around December, as 50p coins featuring him come into circulation.
Two new coins show the official portrait of King Charles III: a 50p on the left and a 5p on the right, in London, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
The effigy of the new monarch was created by the British sculptor Martin Jennings and has been personally approved by Charles, the Mint said on Friday.
Changes in the royal portrait
In keeping with tradition, the portrait shows his left profile, the opposite side from that of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“Charles has followed that general tradition that we have in British coinage, going back to Charles II actually, of the monarch looking in the opposite direction from his predecessor,” said Chris Barker at the Royal Mint Museum.
Charles is shown without a crown. A Latin inscription surrounding the portrait translates as: “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of Peace.”
A £5 coin commemorating Elizabeth’s life and legacy will be released separately on Monday. One side of this coin shows Charles, while on the opposite side two new portraits of Isabel appear side by side.
The South Wales-based Mint has represented the British royal family on coins for over 1,100 years, documenting every monarch since Alfred the Great.
“When we first started making coins, it was the only way people could get to know what the monarch really looked like, not in the days of social media like now,” said Anne Jessopp, the mint’s CEO. “So the portrait of King Charles will be on each and every coin as we go forward.”
Jennings, the sculptor, said the portrait was made from a photograph of Charles.
“It’s the smallest work I’ve ever done, but it’s gratifying to know that it will be seen and preserved by people all over the world for centuries,” he said.
Charles ascended the throne on September 8 after the death of his mother, who died at the age of 96, after seven decades of reign, the longest in Great Britain.
Around 27 billion coins displaying Elizabeth’s image are currently in circulation in the UK. All will remain legal tender and will be in active circulation, to be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn.