The Royal Mint, the official maker of coins for the United Kingdom, has confirmed that coins featuring the portrait of His Majesty King Charles III will enter circulation.
All UK coins bearing the effigy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will also remain legal tender and in active circulation. Historically it has been commonplace for coins featuring the effigies of different monarchs to co-circulate. This ensures a smooth transition, with minimal environmental impact and cost.
Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive Officer, The Royal Mint said:
“We are honored to have struck each UK coin of Her Late Majesty’s reign, documenting her journey from young Queen to respected Head of State. As official coin maker to the UK, we have told the story of each monarch since Alfred the Great and are now preparing for the biggest change in British coinage for several decades.
“The first coins bearing the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III will enter circulation in line with demand from banks and post offices. This means the coinage of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II will co-circulate in the UK for many years to come.”
There are approximately 27 billion coins currently circulating in the UK bearing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. These will be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn, and to meet the demand for additional coins.
The Royal Mint will unveil further details about the coinage of King Charles III over the coming weeks.
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About The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back over 1,100 years. Based in the Tower of London for over 500 years, by 1812 the Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in South Wales, UK, to accommodate the minting of UK decimal coinage. Today, the Mint is the world’s largest export mint, supplying coins to the UK and overseas countries.
