The first British coins bearing the portrait of King Charles III have been revealed.
The effigy will appear first on 50 pence coins before the end of the year.
The same image will appear on coins here, but it is unclear when it will arrive in Australia, where the Royal Australian Mint has previously said it would take about a year from the King's coronation to come into circulation.
The Royal Australian Mint has been contacted for comment.
Charles personally approved the portrait, by British sculptor Martin Jennings.
The Latin inscription around it translates as "King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith".
A separate memorial £5 coin remembering the life and legacy of Elizabeth will be released Monday, which will also feature Charles.
"The portrait was sculpted from a photograph of the King and was inspired by the iconic effigies that have graced Britain's coins over the centuries," Mr Jennings said.
"It is the smallest work I have created, but it is humbling to know it will be seen and held by people around the world for centuries to come."
Kevin Clancy, director of The Royal Mint Museum, said it was "the biggest change to Britain's coins in decades".
The King will face left, the opposite direction to the late Queen, in keeping with a tradition which dates back to Charles II.
Materials used to make coins in the UK are different to Australian coins, where new tools will have to be developed and trialled when the design is received.
Coins bearing the Queen's image will remain legal tender and will stay in circulation until they become damaged or worn, when they will be recycled.
Currency bearing the late monarch's image is still being produced.
The Queen's face has been on coins in 35 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth nations.
Her face also appears on banknotes including Australia's $5 note and the now defunct $1 note.
Charles acceded to the throne September 8 after the death of his mother, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, who died at 96.
ABC/Reuters
