JAKARTA - The first British coin to feature an image of King Charles III has been unveiled by Royal Mint, with a portrait of a new king facing in opposite direction to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in accordance with tradition.
The new image will appear on the 50-pelon coin, which will begin to circulate in the coming months, and also on the £5 warning coin which also features two new portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on the other hand.
Since the monarchy was restored in 1660 after 10 years of the republic of Oliver Cromwell, it has become a tradition for the king to face in a direction opposite to its predecessor in coins.
Charles III personally approved an official portrait, which shows him facing left and performed by British sculptor Martin control. The image is surrounded by a Latin inscription translated as "King Charles III, by Rahmat God, Defender of Faith".
"The portrait was analyzed from the King's photo and inspired by the iconic statue that adorns the British coin for centuries," said control, according to Reuters, September 30.
"This is the smallest work I've ever done, but it's a shame knowing that it will be seen and held by people around the world for centuries to come."
Queen Elizabeth died on September 8 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne. About 27 billion coins with images in circulation and will remain valid as they are gradually removed over time.
"As we move from Elizabeth II to the Carolean era, this is the biggest change to the British coin in decades and for the first time many people have seen different statues," said Kevin Clancy, director of The Royal Mint Museum.
In addition to coins, the UK will gradually look at paper money and postages with pictures of King Charles III, while the new king's code will also appear in government buildings and boxes of red letter pillars.
As the country begins to adapt to its first new head of state for 70 years, the currency maker and postage say they will begin a slow process to move from using the image of Queen Elizabeth to a new king.
"The first coin with a picture of King Charles III will enter circulation in accordance with requests from banks and post offices," said Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive Officer at Royal Mint.
"This means the coins of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II will circulate together in England for years to come."
Similarly, the Bank of England says banknotes with a portrait of Charles are expected to start circulating in mid-2024, and it will reveal updated banknote images by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Royal Mail said the image of the late queen currently used on postages would be updated to display a picture of Charles. The new warko will enter circulation once the stock runs out.
It said all existing currencies and stamps with pictures of the queen would remain in effect.
Buckingham Palace has also unveiled a new code for Charles, a monogram that is used on state documents, by the government department and by the Royal Household for stamps and appearing in the pillar box.
Sandi, chosen by the new king of a series of designs prepared by the College of Forces, consists of the initials 'C' and 'R' - representing Charles' and "Rex", Latin for the king - alongside the depiction of the crown.
"The decision to change the code will be the discretion of each organization, and the process will be gradual," Buckingham Palace said.
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