Royal Mint unveils first coins with King Charles silhouette

by Julia Shapero - 09/30/22 2:37 PM ET

King Charles III coin — AP Photo/Alastair Grant
Two new coins bearing official coinage portrait of King Charles III, on the left is the new 50 pence coin, and right is the new 5 pound commemorative coin, which will be among the first coins to bear the new king’s head, during a press preview in London, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. The likeness of the king was created by British sculptor Martin Jennings, and approved by the king.

The Royal Mint has unveiled the first official coins featuring a portrait of King Charles III.

Charles’s portrait will appear on 50-pence coin as well as a 5-pound commemorative coin set for release Monday.

Two new portraits of Queen Elizabeth II are featured on the opposite side of the commemorative 5-pound coin.

In King Charles’s portrait, created by sculptor Martin Jennings, the newly ascended king appears without a crown and facing to the left, following British tradition.

Previous British kings have not appeared with crowns in their coin images, and each monarch has typically faced the opposite direction of their predecessor, according to The Washington Post.

Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8 after ruling over the United Kingdom for 70 years. Her death certificate, which was released on Thursday, showed that the 96-year-old monarch died of old age.

Tags Elizabeth II King Charles III Queen Elizabeth death Queen Elizabeth II Royal Family United Kingdom