How much does it cost to change coins bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth?

LONDON

- After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom will enter a complex and difficult process to change many of the state symbols that have been associated with the image and name of the Queen, from coins and banknotes to stamps and postmarks;

To the flags that are raised in the security and military institutions.

The process of changing money remains the most complex, which is expected to require months and perhaps years, because the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II is present in almost all banknotes and to change it with the image of King Charles III will require a great effort from the British Central Bank.

The Queen spent 7 decades in power, making all the symbols of the state, as well as security, military, governmental and even financial interests linked to it, and this makes the transition from the "Elizabethian" era to the reign of King Charles a long and complex process that affects many interests.

Huge cash block

The number of coins in the British market is 4.5 billion between coins and banknotes, all bearing the image of the Queen, and the value of these coins is about 80 billion pounds.

In order to change such a large number of coins and print the portrait of the new king, it would take about two years of continuous work from the Bank of England, since it took 16 months to change a 50 pound note in order to collect all the old notes and replace them with new ones.

Changing the image in the coins from the image of the queen to the image of the king will require a complex administrative process, starting first by selecting a number of images of the king and then proposing them to Buckingham Palace in order to approve one of them, choosing the appropriate design for the banknotes and then producing them.

The process of collecting coins with the image of the queen is gradual, which makes this process take some time.

The change in coins will not occur in the United Kingdom alone, as Queen Elizabeth is the record holder in the number of countries that puts her picture on the money.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the image of the Queen appears in the currencies of 35 countries, including Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Cyprus and other countries that place her as the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, which will make the process of changing currencies to bear the image of the new king the largest in history because it will affect dozens of countries.

The change process is subject to the legal procedures of each country, pending the adoption of the official image of King Charles III, amid expectations that the new king may decide to preserve the image of his late mother, accompanied by his image in the new coins.

Portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth appears in the currencies of 35 countries (Reuters)

big changes

It is expected that the change will follow the uniforms of the police and the royal army, as the helmets carried by the security men and soldiers will bear the symbol of the "Tudor" crown;

It is the crown that refers to male kings instead of the crown of St. Edward, which is preferred by queens, and it is engraved - currently - on helmets and military uniforms.

There are the flags that are flown outside police stations in the United Kingdom and the flags that are flown on military bases and warships;

They are all embroidered with the words "Elizabeth II" (EIIR), and the squadrons fly in what is known as the Queen's colors, and there are many columns inlaid with gold and the words "Elizabeth II", all of which must be changed to bear the coat of arms of King Charles III, and the same for the service insignia Extinguishers bearing the initials of the Queen's name.

There are Commonwealth countries in which the Queen is considered the head of state, including Canada and Australia, and in these countries flags called "Elizabeth flags" are raised during the Queen's visit, and will also change.

In this context, the "Royal Post" announced that the mailboxes, which also bear the Queen's symbol and put the inscription "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth", are not changed, of which there are tens of thousands in various regions of the United Kingdom.

She added that in the event of a need to produce more, it will bear the signature of "His Majesty King Charles", as there are very old mailboxes bearing the name of Queen Victoria and are still in use until now.

It will also replace stamps, seals and passports that bore the Queen's portrait.