Posts Tagged ‘king charles iii coins’
The UK’s NEW Coinage
The coins that we use every day are changing.
From the 1p to the £2, eight new coins will soon be entering our pockets and our piggy banks.
So, as we welcome the new era of King Charles III, both the ‘heads’ and ‘tails’ of our circulating coins will have brand new designs.
Read on to unveil The Royal Mint’s brand-new designs, learn about the history of Definitive coins and why this is the biggest change for British coins in 15 years…
The Coins of a New ‘Carolean’ Era
The coins, each designed by The Royal Mint, have been authorised by HM treasury and approved by King Charles III himself.
Over the past seven decades, our circulating coinage has undergone many changes, showcasing five different portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, and two distinct reverse designs.
And even though we have seen His Majesty’s effigy on the obverse of several commemorative issues, this will be the first time we’ll see his portrait on the coins we find in our everyday change.
All reverse designs share a unique feature, setting each denomination against a stylised logo with 3 interlocking ‘Cs’, representing King Charles III.
Before they gradually enter circulation, The Royal Mint have introduced the first strike of these coins in commemorative quality – with a special Privy Mark…
Inspired by Our Natural World
What’s more, each coin embodies King Charles III’s passion for nature & sustainability, presenting various symbols of Britain’s vast wildlife on the reverse designs. Having been a Patron of The Wildlife Trust since 1977, Charles’ affiliation for the natural world was a key inspiration for the designs of the UK’s new coinage.
The new £2 coin design represents the union of the United Kingdom with intermingling flowers from the four nations of the UK: the Rose, the Thistle, the Daffodil, and the Shamrock.
For the £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 2p, and 1p, The Royal Mint have thoughtfully translated various wildlife creatures into innovative reverse designs.
For example, the £1 coin presents a pair of Bees, the 50p showcases a Salmon in water, the 20p a Puffin, the 10p a Scottish Capercaillie, 2p a Red Squirrel, and the 1p a sleeping Dormouse.
Finally, the 5p coin features a stunning combination of oak leaves and acorns – a perfect tribute to our natural world and England’s national tree.
The History of ‘Definitive’ Coinage
The eight different coin denominations which make up our everyday change (1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2) began circulating in 1971. This followed Britain’s shift towards Decimalisation, a plan which had been in the making for over 10 years.
Multiple artists participated in a private design competition, and among them was Christopher Ironside, the chosen designer of the decimal coins. Ironside’s designs remained on the reverse of the definitive coins for 40 years, until Matt Dent proposed the idea of spreading the Shield of the Royal Arms over the definitive coins in 2005.
“This piecing together of the elements of the Royal Arms to form one design had a satisfying symbolism – that of unity, four countries of Britain under a single monarch.” – Matt Dent
A Special Touch for Collectors…
The best part is, you can now secure the commemorative editions of the UK’s new coinage.
And in addition to new designs on both faces, these coins also feature a distinctive ‘Privy Mark’ on the obverse, a unique and sought-after element.
Designed to distinguish these coins from the ones you’ll eventually find in circulation, the first commemorative strikes display a delicate crown positioned alongside the effigy of His Majesty.
From the official Brilliant Uncirculated pack, to the prestigious Proof Set, or the strictly limited DateStampTM, you can click here to view the range with prices starting from £33 (+p&p) and secure yours before it’s too late >
The Silver Coin that Speaks Volumes: An Entire Speech Engraved in Precious Metal
Let me introduce you to a coin that speaks volumes…
Meticulously crafted from Pure Silver, the impressive King’s Speech 5oz 100mm Coin has been issued to honour King Charles III’s defining moment as Monarch.
Every word of the emotional and historic address he gave to the nation following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II feature on this coin – that’s 977 words in total!
A Monarch’s Defining Moment
On the 9th September 2022, just one day removed from Her Late Majesty’s passing, King Charles III made the poignant speech. In the address he paid tribute to his mother and pledged to show the same unwavering commitment to duty.
And so, this coin not only commemorates King Charles III’s first ever speech as Monarch but it also honours the incredible reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Relive the King’s Speech…
The King’s Speech Pure Silver 5oz Coin is a true numismatic masterpiece, one that has seen incredible demand from collectors worldwide.
In fact its Pure Gold Counterpart, priced at a staggering £59,995, had an edition limit of JUST 5.
Making a Masterpiece
The King’s Speech Silver 5oz is an impressive combination of artistic expression and technical prowess.
The delicate process of striking 977 words onto a coin has been achieved using the process of micro-engraving. Every single word has been meticulously engraved onto the die, a painstaking process that requires remarkable precision and expertise. Skilled artisans devoted countless hours to ensuring that each letter has been flawlessly etched.
Once the micro-engraving is complete, the die is ready to undergo the next step in the coin production process. With force and finesse, it is expertly struck multiple times, employing immense pressure to achieve the pristine Proof finish which brings the micro-engraved words to life.
Of course, fitting a 9 minute speech onto a coin presented a major challenge. That’s why each coin has been struck from FIVE OUNCES of Pure Silver and measure at an incredible 100mm.
With its minted design, lustrous silver content and the sheer significance of the occasion it commemorates, this coin is an absolute must-have for collectors worldwide.
If you’re interested…
A strict edition limit of 750 has been set. For one of the most remarkable coins we’ve ever seen, that simply will not be enough…
The first Sovereign of its kind: The UK 2023 Gold Proof Sovereign revealed!
Big news has come out of The Royal Mint today, as they have just issued the brand-new 2023 Gold Proof Sovereign!
Released to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III, this new Sovereign is certainly worth adding to your collection for several reasons…
Special Crowned Portrait
What makes this release so unique, is the fact that it features a special crowned portrait of King Charles III – the FIRST time we have ever seen a crowned King on a modern UK Sovereign!
That makes this issue entirely different to King Charles’ first Sovereign released in late 2022, which featured the standard portrait.
You may recognise this special crowned portrait from elsewhere, as it’s the same as the one seen on his Coronation range of coins that came out earlier this year.
To say that these were popular when they were issued back in April would be an understatement. In fact, all premium specifications of the Coronation range sold out in a matter of hours, as collectors made sure they were the first to snap them up.
And the portrait’s not the only thing that’s different about this new issue…
Surprise Release
This release is something of a surprise, because we already had a King Charles III Sovereign issued in late 2022 – this featured his new portrait on the obverse and a tribute to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse.
You therefore might have expected the next UK Sovereign to be issued later this year, but tradition has been bucked and a UK Proof Sovereign has been released in the month of June especially to commemorate King Charles III’s Coronation.
One thing that will surely remain the same though, is that this is a coin that will sell out.
High Demand
The Sovereign has been the sell-out coin for years now. In fact, the last 9 years have seen consecutive sell-outs, sometimes in a matter of days and even hours.
Struck to a proof finish from 22 Carat Gold, this Sovereign features the iconic Pistrucci design of St George slaying the dragon on the reverse – another first, as this will be the first time a King Charles III Sovereign has carried the 200+ year-old design.
It’s the one Sovereign that collectors simply must own, and there’s no doubt that it will sell out very quickly – especially as just 15,000 have been authorised.
The Coronation has been the most significant numismatic event in recent memory, even surpassing Her Late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
And one-year-only obverse designs are also very rare for the Sovereign, so when they have been released in the past, they have sold out quickly and become particularly hard to find.
However, we have managed to secure a small quantity of the brand-new Gold Proof Coronation Sovereigns for Westminster Collection customers – but you’ll have to be quick to make one yours!
Click here to view the brand-new 2023 Gold Proof Coronation Sovereign >>
Or, check out the full UK 2023 Coronation Sovereign range here >>