King Charles III Coronation Coin Enters Circulation

Earlier this year, The Royal Mint (TRM) released a series of coins to commemorate the coronation of HM King Charles III. One of these coins was a special 50p coin designed by one of the Mint’s product designers, Natasha Jenkins.

TRM has now issued five million new 50p coins into circulation, featuring the same reverse design as Jenkins’s coronation collectable. The design depicts the arches of Westminster Abbey in the background, the site of the coronation, with the King’s official cypher in the centre.

The obverse of the coin features the King’s uncrowned effigy, designed by Martin Jennings and unveiled almost this time last year, with the crowned effigy reserved exclusively for commemorative coins – which featured on the special coronation 50p released earlier this year.

This coin is the second 50p to enter circulation bearing the new King’s official coin portrait, with the first ‘Memorial 50p’ issued in December 2022 (see CMN December).

Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, Rebecca Morgan, noted that ‘members of the public will have the opportunity to find a piece of history in their change’, saying that the Mint expects the coins to be ‘highly sought after among coin collectors and members of the public keen to own a piece of British history’.