Millions of new King Charles £1 coins have officially entered UK circulation
The new King Charles III £1 coins, with British bees depicted on them / Credit: The Royal Mint
The public are being told to keep an eye out for “a piece of history”, as the first King Charles £1 coins have officially entered UK circulation.
After the designs for the new coins were revealed back in October 2023, a total of 2.975 million £1s have now been issued to UK Post Offices and banks from today, and are currently in the process of making their way into tills nationwide.
Each of the eight UK coins feature a new design, all of which apparently highlight King Charles III‘s “passion for conservation”.
The £1 coin features a tribute to British bees.
According to the Royal Mint, the bee symbol has been chosen to represent the fact that there’s more than 250 species of bee currently existing in Britain, including bumblebees, mason bees, and mining bees, and to show just what a pivotal role these “industrious insects” play in pollinating plants and fruiting trees.
And not only can bees be found all over the country, commonly in gardens, parks, woods, orchards, and meadows, but now they can also be found on the reverse of the UK £1 coin.
The Hazel Dormouse, Puffin, and Red Squirrel are just a couple of the other species which feature on the other seven coins – which have all been created with the support of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Rebecca Morgan, who is the Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, the country’s official coin maker is “honoured” to confirm the new £1 has now entered circulation.
“We know there’ll be a buzz of excitement amongst collectors and the public to get this special piece of history in their change,” she added. “We hope the designs across all denominations spark important conversations about the conservation of these important species.”
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Commemorative sets of the new coins are also available from The Royal Mint’s website, if you’re keen to collect them all, and will set you back £34.
Featured Image – The Royal Mint