King Charles III is now Britain’s monarch.

The Royal Mint has unveiled the first official coins to bear the portrait of King Charles III.

The first coin to bear The King’s portrait is a special UK £5 crown commemorating the life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who died on September 8.

Created by renowned British sculptor Martin Jennings, The King’s official coinage portrait has been personally approved by His Majesty. In keeping with tradition, The King’s portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to the definitive coinage portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.

The effigy will start to appear on circulating and commemorative coins produced by The Royal Mint over the coming months. The reverse of the commemorative £5 coin features two new portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, documenting her journey from a young queen to a respected Head of State.

Created by coinage designer John Bergdahl in collaboration with The Royal Mint, the design will form part of a memorial coin collection, which will include a 50p released into general circulation in the UK.

Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Mint, said: “Her Late Majesty ruled with heart and devotion for seventy years, and this memorial £5 coin commemorates her remarkable legacy as Britain’s longest-serving monarch. To ensure everyone can hold a piece of history in their hand, a special 50p will also enter circulation to document this historic moment.”