The Royal Mint has unveiled the official effigy of King Charles III which will feature on new coins.
The first coins to bear the King’s portrait will be a special £5 crown and a 50p piece commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
It comes as Liz Truss finally broke her silence after a week of economic chaos –and wiped £32billion off share prices.
As a £5 crown and 50p became the first coins to bear the King’s portrait, the PM refused to U-turn on tax cuts for the rich.
She will reportedly hold emergency talks with the Office for Budget Responsibility on Friday.
Charles’s likeness was created by sculptor Martin Jennings from a photograph and has been personally approved by His Majesty.
In keeping with tradition, the King’s portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction from his mother who faced right. The Queen’s father, George VI, faced left before her.
The Latin inscription surrounding the effigy reads: “CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 5 POUNDS • 2022”.
It translates as “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith”. The effigy will appear on circulating and commemorative coins produced by the Mint in the coming months.
The reverse of the commemorative £5 coin features two new portraits of Queen Elizabeth II in a design by artist John Bergdahl.
It is part of a wider memorial collection which includes a 50p released into general circulation.
On the back of the 50p is a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown. It shows the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield, plus the four home nation emblems: a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.
The 27 billion coins bearing the Queen’s head remain legal tender and will be gradually replaced.
Martin Jennings, who designed the King’s effigy, 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.”
The Royal Mint, in Llantrisant, South Wales, has documented monarchs for more than 1,100 years, since Alfred the Great.
