New 50p coin with head of King Charles is released
THE first coins bearing the official effigy of the King will appear in circulation in post offices around the UK from Thursday.
The King’s portrait will first appear on a 50p, with the reverse, or “tails” side of the coin, commemorating the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II.
A commemorative version of the coin was released in October, generating record visitors to the Royal Mint’s website in the 24 hours following.
A total of 4.9 million 50p coins will enter circulation across 9,452 Post Office branches throughout December.
Some 9.6 million 50p coins will eventually enter circulation, in line with demand.
The Post Office’s Aldwych branch in central London, near to Clarence House, is among the locations getting the new coins.
The coins’ appearance coincides with the release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s controversial Netflix docuseries, with the royal family braced for Harry and Meghan’s latest revelations.
Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint, said: “Today marks a new era for UK coinage, with the effigy of King Charles III appearing on 50ps in circulation.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for coin collectors to add to their collections, or start one for the first time. We anticipate a new generation of coin collectors emerging, with people keeping a close eye on their change to try and spot a new 50p that bears the portrait of our new King.
“The Royal Mint has been trusted to make coins bearing the monarch’s effigy for over 1,100 years and we are proud to continue this tradition into the reign of King Charles III.”
Nick Read, chief executive of the Post Office, added: “It is a tremendous honour for the Post Office and for postmasters that the first coinage featuring King Charles III is being released into circulation via our extensive branch network.
“December is our busiest time of the year so the coin will be entering our network in a phased manner. If you don’t receive the new 50p in your change on your first visit to a post office you may well get it in your change in a subsequent visit, so keep a look out for it.”