New coin effigy of His Majesty King Charles III unveiled by Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has today unveiled the official coin effigy of His Majesty King Charles III. The first coins to bear The King’s portrait are a special £5 Crown and 50 pence commemorating the life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The King’s effigy has been created by renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings, and has been personally approved by His Majesty. In keeping with tradition, The King’s portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to Queen Elizabeth II. The Latin inscription surrounding the effigy reads “• CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 5 POUNDS • 2022” which translates to ‘King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith’. The effigy will start to appear on circulating and commemorative coins produced by The Royal Mint over the coming months. The new coin series with the new king effigy will be unveiled october the 3rd 2022 at 09 AM.

The reverse of the commemorative £5 coin features two new portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.  The design was created by artist John Bergdahl in collaboration with The Royal Mint. It will form part of a wider memorial coin collection, which will include a 50p released into general circulation in the UK.

The reverse of the 50 pence features a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown. It was struck to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation at Westminster Abbey, and includes the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield. In between each shield is an emblem of the home nations; a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

The Royal Mint has depicted Britain’s Royal Family on coins for over 1,100 years, documenting each monarch since Alfred the Great.  Based in Llantrisant South Wales, it continues to make the official coinage of Britain as well as offering commemorative and historic coins, precious metal investment and jewellery.

Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Mint, said:  “The Royal Mint has been trusted to make coins bearing the Monarch’s effigy for over 1,100 years and we are proud to continue this tradition into the reign of King Charles III. Although technology has progressed, we continue to honour British craftsmanship passed down through the centuries. Our team of skilled modellers, tool makers and engravers will ensure that The King’s effigy will be faithfully replicated onto millions of coins. Her Late Majesty ruled with heart and devotion for seventy years, and this memorial collection commemorates her remarkable legacy as Britain’s longest serving monarch. To ensure everyone can hold a piece of history in their hand, the 50p will also enter circulation in the UK.”

Anne JESSOPP, CEO of the Royal Mint and posing next to the new royal effigy

Martin Jennings, Designer of His Majesty King Charles III’s effigy, said: “It is a privilege to sculpt the first official effigy of His Majesty and to receive his personal approval for the design. 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. 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.”

The engraver and artist Martin JENNINGS

Martin JENNINGS and the royal numismatic effigy

Martin Jennings has been making public sculptures in the UK for many years. His depictions of great writers and poets, including John Betjeman at St Pancras Station, Philip Larkin in Hull, Charles Dickens in Portsmouth and George Orwell in front of the BBC Broadcasting House, are particularly well known and admired. The sculptor has turned to coin design and recently created the first definitive portrait of King Charles III, who personally approved the portrait.

To prepare for the process of designing the official portrait of His Majesty in coins, Martin Jennings began his research by studying as many photographs of the King as he could. He collected as many photographic images as he could. In order to show just one side of a person’s head, one must understand how the head looks in its roundness. Martin JENNINGS says you have to look at all the photographs and then choose one or two that give the best impression of the head you want to model.

The piece was then modeled in plaster larger than the size of the piece, about the size of a dinner plate. He worked by hand. Once it is finished and cast in plaster, the original design can be digitally reduced to make the impression the right size for a coin.

A trained calligrapher, Martin Jennings also has experience in carving stone inscriptions. To complement and convey the gravity of this new portrait, he wanted to make it clear that the typeface chosen was of the utmost importance to him.  He wanted a classic, almost masterful form of lettering to emphasize the strength of the portrait.

In keeping with a tradition going back centuries, to the reign of Charles II, where each monarch faces his predecessor in the opposite direction, the portrait of King Charles III faces to the left, while the final portraits of Queen Elizabeth II show Her Majesty facing to the right.

All the traditions, starting with those concerning the numismatics of the United Kingdom, are thus respected.

Sources: Royal Mint and NUMISMAG