First coins bearing King’s portrait enter circulation
THE first coins to feature the King’s head will enter circulation today, marking the beginning of “a new era”.
The monarch’s portrait will 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 was released in October, generating record visitors to the Royal Mint’s website over a 24-hour period.
A total of 4.9million 50p coins will enter circulation across 9,452 Post Office branches throughout December.
Coins will be distributed as change when customers make purchases.
Some 9.6 million 50p coins will eventually enter circulation, in line with demand.
The image of His Majesty was designed by sculptor Martin Jennings, who was inspired by a collection of change his mother had kept from her childhood.
In keeping with tradition, the King’s portrait faces to the left – in the opposite direction to the late Queen. The reverse of the 50p coin features an image of Elizabeth II that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation crown.
The dual portraits are deemed a gentle transition for the public into a new reign. 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 to 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 more than 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.”