Unveiled portrait of King Charles on British currency
The British Royal Mint revealed today, Friday, the official form in which King Charles III will appear on British coins after taking the throne.
The portrait of the king on the coin was prepared by the British sculptor Martin Jennings, who obtained the approval of the new king in person.
The first coins bearing the image of the king will be a special £5 coin and a 50 pence coin, commemorating Queen Elizabeth II.
The new coins show the image of Charles looking to the left, in the opposite direction to the images of his late mother on the old coins. The coin is also engraved with an inscription in Latin with the words “King Charles III, Praise be to God, Defender of the Faith.”
The Royal Mint said in a statement that Charles' portrait would begin appearing on coins and commemorative coins in the coming months.
Two new portraits of Elizabeth II will appear on the reverse of the commemorative five-pound coin.
The Royal Mint has embodied royalty on coins for more than 1,100 years, since the time of Alfred the Great.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 after a record 70-year reign on the throne.
The director of the Royal Mint, Kevin Clancy, said the late queen appeared on more coins than any other British monarch.
There are currently about 27 billion coins in circulation in the United Kingdom bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II.
"They will be replaced over time as they become damaged or obsolete and to meet the demand for additional coins," the Royal Mint added.
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