NEW coins and banknotes featuring King Charles will gradually be put into circulation over a number of years, according to a coin-maker.
Britannia Coin Company director Jon White told GB News: “For as long as we’re alive we will continue to see coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
“It’s just that over the years, gradually, we will see new coins featuring King Charles III creep in and they will sit side by side and so you still continue to spend them.”
Our money has featured royal figures for over 1,200 and by 800 AD coins regularly bore the names of the kings for whom they were struck.
There are around 29 billion coins in circulation in the UK and the portrait that sits in our pockets, purses and wallets is, of course, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Royal Mint worked closely with the late Queen throughout her reign and has documented her journey from new Queen to the UK’s longest reigning monarch across five different coin portraits.
It has issued a statement saying that coins and banknotes bearing the image of the Queen remain legal tender and in circulation.
Mr White said: “The Royal Mint will be inviting medalists, designers. Maybe a shortlist of 3, 4, 5 – we don’t know at this point.
“Designers will come up with their version of Charles the Third’s portrait and ultimately a winner will be picked.
“That final image will then obviously be presented to the King. He has the ultimate veto, if he doesn’t like his image it’s back to the drawing board.”
He said traditionally monarchs face the opposite way from their predecessor on coins.
Queen Elizabeth faces right while her father King George VI faces left.
