The Royal Mint has unveiled a unique coin collection depicting the king, which breaks with tradition by incorporating illustrations inspired by plants and animals native to all four countries.
Under King Charles’s direction, the eight designs represent his love for environment and conservation, showcasing the flora and wildlife from different UK regions. The 1p coin features a hazel dormouse, the 2p a red squirrel, the 5p an oak leaf, the 10p a critically endangered woodland grouse, the capercaillie, the 20p a puffin, the 50p a salmon, the £1 two bees, and the £2 coin has a rose for England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland, and a shamrock for Northern Ireland.
These coin designs will eventually replace the present shield, which was adopted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008 and incorporates an emblem of each home nation: a rose, a thistle, a shamrock, and a leek. By the end of the year, the coins, which range from £1 to £2, will be in use. The coins will still include the effigy of the king that Martin Jennings, a sculptor, produced and handed to the Royal Mint in 2022. The king’s picture is oriented on British coins to the left, in the opposite manner from the late queen. According to Chris Barker, information and research manager at the Royal Mint Museum, heraldics has historically dominated British colony design.
Except for a few rare instances, that has consistently been the theme. That has been the general trend, with a few exceptions. Because there has been a total shift in emphasis to include flora and wildlife, these coins represent a watershed point in British coinage history.
These [coins] very much reflect our day, he continued. Both the monarch under whose authority they were given and the era of climate change are reflected in them. The majority of Charles’ life has been devoted to conservation and the natural world. The cipher of Charles II and history both serve as inspiration for the three overlapping Cs that appear repeatedly on all of the coins. In contrast to earlier designs, the coins also have large numbering that makes them easier to read, he added.
The Royal Mint’s chief commercial officer, Nicola Howell, stated that they want to engage younger audiences by teaching them the value of money as well as the skill of numeracy and by providing them with discussion points about the coins.
The designs enable everyone to celebrate British nature, and the large visual numerals will assist tourists who are less familiar with the British currency system, she added. “I hope people can engage in dialogue and [the coins] will spark an interest in conservation,” the author said. The king selected the Latin inscription that reads “In the service of all” (In servitio omnium) around the edge of the £2 coin. It came from the king’s inauguration speech in September of the previous year. Gordon Summers, the head engraver, managed the designs alongside a Royal Mint advisory group. The RHS and the RSPB assisted in the development of the coins.
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