For the first time, a crowned portrait of King Charles will appear on a new series of commemorative coins to mark the upcoming coronation.
The coin collection, which includes a 50p and a £5 coin, will be released later this month, ahead of the historic May 6 celebration of the crowning of the British king.
Martin Jennings, an artist and sculptor, designed the effigy, which depicts King Charles III wearing the Tudor Crown.
The King chose the Tudor Crown for the portrait despite the fact that it no longer exists, having been destroyed in the 1640s.
It continues in the tradition of the crown being used in portraits of previous kings from the 20th century, including that of his great grandfather King George VI.
Jennings said he was ‘proud’ to have created the portrait, which he said was ‘both dignified and celebratory for this historic occasion’.
Natasha Jenkins, The Royal Mint’s resident designer, will also create a drawing of Westminster Abbey for the 50p coin. The image also features King Charles’ cypher and crown to represent him inside the abbey where he will be crowned.
Timothy Noad designed the £5 coin, which depicts the sacred and symbolic objects used in the coronation ceremony, known as the Coronation Regalia and the St Edward’s Crown.
The coin collection also includes a number of ounce coins in various editions and sizes, each with the King’s crowned portrait on one side and an intricate design by John Bergdahl on the other.
The 50p coins will be available for purchase from 9 a.m. on April 24 for between £11 and £1,220, while the £5 coins will cost between £14.50 and £2,995.
A 1kg solid gold proof coin featuring Mr Jennings and Mr Bergdahl’s designs will also be available for £77,565.
According to the Bank of England, five million 50p coins will be issued later in 2023, with the original, uncrowned effigy of Charles by Mr Jennings and the commemorative Westminster Abbey drawing by Ms Jenkins.
This follows the five million memorial 50ps that entered circulation after the King ascended the throne.
Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at The Royal Mint, called the range ‘a wonderful keepsake of such a historic occasion’.
‘This is the first coronation that most of us will ever have seen – it has been 70 years since the last coronation in this country – and we know lots of people are gearing up to have a huge celebration,’ she said.
‘It is a historic moment for Britain and people are going to want something to remember it by and these coins are the perfect choice for that.’
She added: ‘The Royal Mint has struck the coins of the monarchy since the times of Alfred the Great.
‘We are marking a moment in history and a new chapter in British coinage.’