Coins and notes with King Charles III’s portrait on have now entered circulation in the UK with the nation being encouraged to look out for them when handling change.
The £1 coin that has recently entered circulation depicts a pair of British bees on the “tails” side, in honour of the King’s passion for conservation and the natural world and Charles’ official coin effigy on the obverse or “heads”.
Banknotes with the King’s portrait went into circulation in June, marking the first time that the sovereign has been changed on the Bank of England’s notes.
Now that the King’s face can be seen on coins and notes in the UK, can money with the late Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy on still be used? Here’s what we know.
Have you heard the buzz? 🐝 A total of 2.975 million £1 coins bearing His Majesty King Charles III’s official coin portrait are being issued to @PostOffices and Banks. Keep your eyes peeled! @RoyalFamily @hmtreasury
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) August 20, 2024
Discover the design's significance 🐝 https://t.co/XSWSyx15Jm pic.twitter.com/5av0JNYPPU
Can the late Queen Elizabeth II’s money still be used?
After the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, banknotes and coins in the UK remained in use as the King wanted to gradually introduce the money with his portrait on.
The new banknotes were issued for the first time in summer 2024 by the Royal Mint and are circulating with existing notes featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
The King’s portrait appears on the new £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes and will only be issued to meet demand and to replace ones which are damaged.
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This means that anyone with notes or coins that have the late Queen’s portrait on them can still use them as payment.
Charles was presented with his portrait design in April, which he said was “very well designed”.
It is the first time the sovereign has been changed on the Bank of England’s notes because Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to be depicted on a note in 1960.
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