As Brits up and down the country prepare to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III next month, the official maker of UK coins The Royal Mint have revealed a range of commemorative coins to mark the momentous event.
The collection, created to celebrate the upcoming Coronation, includes a 50p and £5 coin, as well as a number of ounce coins, that are available in several editions and sizes.
The commemorative coronation coin range features a crowned effigy of His Majesty The King designed by artist and sculptor Martin Jennings - the first crowned portrait of His Majesty to feature on a coin.
READ MORE: When is the coronation of King Charles III?
The new, crowned coin portrait has been created specifically for the Coronation, ahead of the historic event on May 6 and will feature on the commemorative range produced by The Royal Mint to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The crowned version of the portrait is reserved specifically for collectable, commemorative coins and will be reserved for very special collections moving forwards. It comes after the image of King Charles III for non-commemorative coins was unveiled following His Majesty’s Accession late last year, in which The King is shown not wearing regalia.
Sculptor Martin Jennings said: “Following my work on the uncrowned coin effigy of His Majesty, I am delighted to have had the opportunity to work on a crowned version for the coronation range. Each detail of the crown has to be scrupulously correct so it has taken considerable work to get it right. I'm proud to have had the opportunity to realise a design that is both dignified and celebratory for this historic occasion.”
The portrait features the Tudor Crown which was personally selected by His Majesty The King for the portrait. Although the Tudor crown was destroyed in the 1640s it is still used heraldically and has been used on previous crowned portraits of Kings from the 20th century. The Tudor Crown also features on His Majesty’s cypher.
Meanwhile, the new, highly collectable 50p featuring the iconic Westminster Abbey has been designed by Royal Mint designer Natasha Jenkins.
Natasha has worked for The Royal Mint for nearly seven years, and this is the third time one of her designs has been selected for use on a UK coin.
She said: “I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work on this project. I was inspired to feature Westminster Abbey as it plays such an iconic role in the coronation, so I chose to opt for a stylised line drawing of Westminster Abbey that is instantly recognisable with Britain, along with King Charles’ cypher and crown to mark him being crowned as King.
“I am always aware of finishing touches during the design stage. This is why I chose a linear design, as I knew the negative areas of the design would be polished, and the relief areas would be frosted. This will give the coin a lot of opportunity for light play.
“In the future I will be able to look back and show my children this coin that I designed for the Coronation and feel proud.”
Five million 50ps are set to enter circulation later in 2023 featuring the original, uncrowned effigy of King Charles by Martin Jennings. This follows the five million commemorative 50ps that have already entered circulation – the first circulating coinage of the new monarch, that will co-circulate along with that of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Coronation range also includes a The Royal Mint’s website.on the obverse and a beautiful design by Timothy Noad on the reverse, featuring the Tudor Crown.
Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint, said: “The Coronation range is a celebration of the Coronation and His Majesty The King’s formal investiture, exhibiting exemplary British craftsmanship, with a range of price points making it accessible for all. We’re particularly excited to unveil the unique crowned effigy, making this range highly collectible and a wonderful keepsake of such a historic occasion.
“The Royal Mint has struck the coins of the monarchy since the times of Alfred the Great. The Royal Mint has played a role in coronations for years, traditionally producing coins and medals for previous monarchs. We are marking a moment in history and a new chapter in British coinage. This is a wonderful opportunity to grow an existing coin collection or to start collecting for the first time.”
The range will go on sale at 9am on Monday, April 24, 2023. For more information about the range, visit The Royal Mint’s website.
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