Issued as part of the Royal Mint's ongoing bullion and collector program under Charles III, whose effigy — sculpted by Martin Jennings — made its official debut on circulating coinage in late 2023 after the longest interregnum between monarch portraits in modern British minting history. The transition from Elizabeth II's portrait, used for over 70 years, required updating every circulating denomination simultaneously, a logistical exercise the Mint had not faced since 1953.
Issued as part of the Royal Mint's ongoing bullion and collector program under Charles III, whose effigy — sculpted by Martin Jennings — made its official debut on circulating coinage in late 2023 after the longest interregnum between monarch portraits in modern British minting history. The transition from Elizabeth II's portrait, used for over 70 years, required updating every circulating denomination simultaneously, a logistical exercise the Mint had not faced since 1953.