Royal Mint releases new £5 and 50p coins with King Charles’ effigy
Coins bearing the face of new monarch King Charles III have been unveiled by the Royal Mint.
The official effigy of the sovereign appears on a commemorative £5 coin and 50p, marking the life of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The portrait adorning both coins was created by renowned British artist and sculptor Martin Jennings, and has been approved by the King.
King Charles III is pictured facing to the left, the opposite direction to Queen Elizabeth, with a Latin inscription translating to ‘King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith.’
On the commemorative £5 coin, the reverse features two new portraits of the late Queen, in a design created by artist John Bergdahl, and the Royal Mint.
The reverse of the 50p coin, which will be released into general circulation in the UK, features a design which originally appeared in 1953 for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation crown.
It features four quarters of the Royal Arms with a shield, with emblems of home nations.
Continuing a tradition of depicting monarchs on coins which the Royal Mint has done for more than 1,100 since Alfred the Great, Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive remarked that “although technology has progressed, we continue to honour British craftsmanship passed down through the centuries.”
“Our team of skilled modellers, tool makers and engravers will ensure that The King’s effigy will be faithfully replicated onto millions of coins”.
While the memorial collection commemorates the late Queen’s “remarkable legacy as Britain’s longest serving monarch”, she added that to “ensure everyone can hold a piece of history in their hand, the 50p will also enter circulation in the UK.”
Martin Jennings, designer of His Majesty King Charles III’s portrait on coins, called it “a privilege to sculpt the first official effigy ..and to receive his personal approval for the design.”
“The portrait was sculpted from a photograph of The King” he said, and “is the smallest work I have created, but it is humbling to know it will be seen and held by people around the world for centuries to come.”
All coins bearing Queen Elizabeth will remain legal tender and in circulation, with approximately 27 billion coins.