King Charles III: 50p coins heading to shops

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, You'll be able to get your mitts on the new coin at some post offices around the UK

The first 50p coins featuring a portrait of King Charles III will be heading to post offices today.

They are the first coins which have a picture of King Charles III to enter public circulation - that means to be used in things like shops.

Around 4.9m of the new 50p coins will enter into circulation in 9,452 Post Offices throughout December - starting today!

The new coin was designed by sculptor Martin Jennings and made in the Royal Mint, which makes the money we use in the UK.

How is the new 50p coin different?

Image source, Royal Mint

Image caption, The new 50p coin celebrates the King and commemorates his mother

The new coin shows the king's portrait facing to the left. This is because each King or Queen faces in the opposite direction to the one before.

In tribute to the Queen, the reverse of the 50p features the design that originally appeared on coins to commemorate her coronation at Westminster Abbey in 1953.

It includes the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield, with emblems of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales - a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

On the coin, Charles does not wear a crown, this follows a tradition that Kings are not pictured crowned.

There are around 27 billion coins featuring the late Queen, and people will still be able to use these.

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