First Coins Featuring King Charles III Unveiled
The Royal Mint has unveiled the first official coins to bear the portrait of King Charles III. The first coin to bear The King’s portrait is a special UK £5 crown commemorating the life and legacy of the late Queen Elizabeth II who passed away after 70 years as Britain’s monarch. Created by renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings, The King’s official coinage portrait has been personally approved. In keeping with tradition, The King’s portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to the definitive coinage portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. The Latin inscription surrounding the effigy reads 'CHARLES III - D - G - REX - F - D - 5 POUNDS - 2022’, which translates to ‘King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith’. The effigy will start to appear on circulating and commemorative coins produced by The Royal Mint over the coming months. The reverse of the commemorative £5 coin features two new portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, documenting her journey from a young queen to a respected Head of State. Created by coinage designer John Bergdahl in collaboration with The Royal Mint, the design will form part of a memorial coin collection which will include a 50p released into general circulation in the UK.
