King Charles to feature on notes and stamps as new monogram revealed
Bank notes, coins and stamps featuring the face of King Charles III have been announced alongside the unveiling of his Majesty's new monogram.
Images of updated banknotes featuring a portrait of the King will be revealed by the Bank of England by the end of this year. Coins and banknotes featuring King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II will co-circulate, under the plans.
The Royal Mint said that coins bearing the effigy of the King will enter circulation in line with demand from banks and post offices, and will circulate alongside coins featuring the Queen “for many years to come”.
New banknotes featuring Charles are expected to enter circulation by mid-2024 and his portrait will appear on existing designs of all four denominations of banknote (£5, £10, £20 and £50).
This will be a continuation of the current polymer series and no additional changes to the banknote designs will be made, the Bank of England said.
There are around 27 billion coins currently circulating in the UK bearing the effigy of the Queen. These will be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn, and to meet demand for additional coins.
Four stamps that feature portraits of the Queen will also released in her memory, the Royal Mail has announced.
Special Stamps will also feature a silhouette of the King.
The new stamps – the first set to be approved by King Charles III – will go on general sale from November 10 and will feature images of the late monarch through the years.
A photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding in 1952 to mark the Queen’s accession and coronation will feature on second-class stamps, while the first-class stamp will include a photo taken by Cecil Beaton in 1968 in which the monarch is standing in her admiral’s cloak with her head tilted to the left.
A portrait taken in November 1984 by Yousuf Karsh will appear on £1.85 stamps, and a photo taken by Tim Graham in 1996 while the Queen attended a banquet at Prague Castle during her visit to the Czech Republic will be the image on the £2.55 stamps.
All four stamp images were released in the Golden Jubilee stamp issue in 2002 and were approved by the late Queen for issue that year.
Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: “For the past 70 years every British stamp has been personally approved by Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
“Today we are unveiling these stamps, the first to be approved by His Majesty The King, in tribute to a woman whose commitment to public service and duty was unparalleled in the history of this country.”
A presentation pack of all four stamps will retail at £6.95 and is available to pre-order on the Royal Mail’s website.
The King's new cypher features the monarch's initial C intertwined with the letter R for Rex – Latin for King – with III within the R denoting Charles III, with the crown above the letters.
The new monarch travelled to Scotland soon after the Queen’s funeral last Monday, with the period of royal mourning lasting for seven days after the late Queen’s burial.
The monogram is Charles’ personal property and was selected by the monarch from a series of designs prepared by the College of Arms. A Scottish version features the Scottish Crown, and was approved by Lord Lyon King of Arms.
It will be used by government departments and by the Royal Household for franking mail and the decision to replace cyphers will be at the discretion of individual organisations.
The process will be a gradual one and in some instances the cyphers of previous monarchs can still be seen on public buildings and street furniture, especially post boxes.
The College of Arms, which designed the cyphers, was founded in 1484 and is responsible for creating and maintaining official registers of coats of arms and pedigrees.
The heralds who make up the College are members of the Royal Household and act under Crown authority.
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