FIRST KING CHARLES BANK NOTES REVEALED
With a new king at the helm, the United Kingdom has revealed its new look banknotes featuring King Charles III.
The new notes will start to enter circulation in the middle of 2024. Existing notes featuring Queen Elizabeth II will still be accepted even after the new notes begin to circulate.
No new changes will be made to the 5, 10, 20 and 5 pound notes other than the portrait.
The BBC reports that Queen Elizabeth was the first and only monarch to consistently appear on circulating Bank of England banknotes, starting in 1960. Notes issued by Scottish and Northern Irish banks do not depict the monarch.
The Bank of England governor, Andrew Baily, said he was proud to be part of a significant moment with the new design and that they’re following guidance from the Royal household regarding the new notes.
They will only be printed to replace worn notes or to meet increased demand, in order to minimise the environmental and financial impact of the change.
Before the release of the new banknotes, almost 5 million new coins featuring King Charles’ portrait are being distributed to post offices.
Image credit: Marca