The first images of King Charles III‘s likeness on the next 50p coin have been unveiled by the Royal Mint as the nation prepares to transition into a new form of currency.
Revealed on Friday, 30 September, the UK’s official coin maker unveiled the first piece of legal tender. The incoming 50p features Charles’ face in the classic profile position and a new design on the reverse that harks back to the design featured on Queen Elizabeth II‘s 1953 coronation coin.
As you can see, the new coin includes the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield and in between each shield is an emblem of the home nations; a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.
Credit: Royal Mint
Martin Jennings, Designer of His Majesty King Charles III’s effigy, said in a press release: “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.”
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Jennings is also responsible for designing the new commemorative £5 coin, customary for marked occasions such as the change over of monarchs.
Credit: Royal Mint
The limited edition £5 coin will form part of a wider memorial coin collection following the passing of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
There is an estimated £4.5 billion worth of existing currency – approximately 27 billion coins of various denominations alone – thought to be in circulation, not to mention things like stamps, meaning that we will likely have to get used to carrying both old and new coins.
This isn’t the only significant change Britons can expect either, as earlier this week the Royal Family revealed the new King’s new cypher which will replace the Queen’s ‘EIIR’ seal across the UK, such as on the gates of Buckingham Palace and on postboxes.
The Strokes announce first Manchester gig in two decades
Daisy Jackson
The Strokes are finally set to return to Manchester for the first time in years, announcing a huge arena show today.
The iconic indie rockers have shared details of a new European tour, which includes a night at the massive Co-op Live arena here in Manchester.
The news comes hot off the heels of their celebrated Coachella set over the weekend.
The Reality Awaits Tour, named after their upcoming seventh studio album, will take The Strokes to Manchester as well as London and Newcastle, plus several cities across Europe.
The Strokes broke into the industry back in 2001 with their seminal debut album Is This It, which spawned massive indie anthems like Last Nite, Hard To Explain, and Sometimes.
Since then, they’ve released six studio albums, all of which have climbed into the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
You can expect to hear all sorts of fan favourites, like Reptilia, Juicebox, and You Only Live Once, plus new music including their latest single The New Abnormal.
Co-op Live said: “This is set to be an unmissable show as they come to Co-op Live for the first time and we can’t wait!”
Last time The Strokes played in Manchester, it was at the O2 Apollo way back in 2006 – the same year they supported Foo Fighters at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
They played Lytham Festival more recently, but haven’t ventured back into Manchester itself since.
The Strokes will play at Co-op Live in Manchester on 26 October 2026.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 17 April HERE, with a number of pre-sales beginning from Wednesday 15 April.
Manchester Museum to close much-loved section for ‘major’ £200k redevelopment
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has announced that it’s planning to close of its best-loved exhibitions.
Thanks to a grant of £200,000 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, Manchester Museum is planning a major redevelopment of its much-loved Vivarium.
The Vivarium has sat at the heart of Manchester Museum for more than 60 years, and is a centre for globally-significant conservation projects, caring for around 30 different amphibian and reptile species – many of which are critically endangered – in a bid to inspire generations of visitors.
Thanks to a pioneering partnership with Panama Wildlife Conservation Charity, which is just one of many projects designed to safeguard the future of endangered species and develop learning programmes that raise awareness of threats to biodiversity, Manchester Museum houses the world’s only captive ‘back-up’ population – which is why the redevelopment of the Vivarium is so important.
The funding grant will help to ‘revitalise’ public displays, and create new state-of-the art facilities and bespoke naturalistic environments for the amphibian and reptile species cared for by the Vivarium.
It will also allow the development of dedicated facilities for schools, teaching, and visiting tour groups, which the Museum hopes will ‘further enhance’ the gallery’s potential for learning.
During the redevelopment – which has been named the ‘Habitats of Hope’ project – new permanent displays will also be created that explore the connections between its wider collections and the animals it cares for.
Manchester Museum is set to close one of its much-loved sections for ‘major’ £200k redevelopment / Credit: Supplied
“Habitats of Hope speaks to how wonderful and how vulnerable the world’s rarest amphibians are” commented Georgina Young, who is the Head of Collections and Exhibitions at Manchester Museum.
“Major investment means Manchester Museum can match the highest standards of animal care with a more accessible visitor experience, while weaving stories of research, conservation, partnership and action that stretch from thriving ponds in Manchester to hyper-biodiverse ecosystems in Costa Rica and Panama.”
Danny Jones -
30th September 2022 
