King Charles III Coinage: Complete UK Reign Guide 2026
Charles III became the first new monarch on UK currency in over 70 years when the Royal Mint released the Martin Jennings effigy in December 2022. By 2024 every denomination from 1p to £2 had a Charles III circulating issue, with reverses featuring British wildlife chosen personally by the King. This guide covers every Charles III coin to date, the Memorial Coinage of 2022, the 2023 Coronation 50p, the new wildlife definitive series, and where the genuine numismatic value sits versus the common circulating coins.
Timeline: how the Charles III coinage rolled out
| Date | Event | Mintage / format |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Sep 2022 | Death of Queen Elizabeth II; Charles III accedes | — |
| 29 Sep 2022 | Royal Mint announces Martin Jennings portrait selection | — |
| 3 Oct 2022 | First Charles III Memorial Coinage announced (£5 crown, 50p) | Multiple formats |
| 8 Dec 2022 | First Charles III circulating 50p enters change | ~5 million 50p Memorial |
| 27 Apr 2023 | Charles III Coronation 50p released | 9,820,000 circulating + 8,000 Piedfort |
| Oct 2023 | 2023 Definitive Coinage announced (wildlife reverses) | 1p–£2 family |
| Nov 2023 | First Atlantic Salmon 50p released | 200,000 (rarest C3 circulating) |
| 2024 | Full Charles III definitive set in circulation across all denominations | Tens of millions |
The Martin Jennings portrait and the alternation rule
British monarchs on coinage have alternated direction since Charles II in 1660: each new monarch faces the opposite direction of their predecessor. Elizabeth II faced right; Charles III faces left. The single exception was Edward VIII (1936), who insisted on facing left despite his predecessor George V also facing left — but Edward VIII abdicated before any of his coins entered circulation, so the rule effectively remained unbroken.
The Charles III portrait was commissioned from Martin Jennings, the British sculptor best known for the John Betjeman statue at St Pancras and the Phillip Larkin statue at Hull Paragon. Jennings worked from sittings with the King personally and from official photographs. The design was personally approved by Charles III before production. The Latin obverse legend reads CHARLES III D G REX F D (Charles III, by the Grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith), matching the format used since George VI.
Unlike Elizabeth II, who had five distinct portraits across her 70-year reign (Mary Gillick 1953, Arnold Machin 1968, Raphael Maklouf 1985, Ian Rank-Broadley 1998, Jody Clark 2015), Charles III is expected to have a single portrait for the foreseeable future. A bare-headed effigy (no crown) was chosen, in keeping with modern royal preference; Jennings has confirmed a crowned variant may follow on commemoratives.
2022 Memorial Coinage
The 2022 Charles III Memorial Coinage was the Royal Mint’s response to the simultaneous accession of Charles III and passing of Elizabeth II. Two principal designs were issued:
- £5 Crown — portrait of Elizabeth II on the reverse (an unprecedented choice; normally the reverse carries a design, not the monarch) with the Jennings Charles III on the obverse. Cupronickel BU, silver proof, colour silver proof, silver Piedfort (5,500), gold proof (400).
- 50p — entered general circulation 8 December 2022. Mintage approximately 5 million circulating. Also issued in BU, silver proof, silver Piedfort and gold proof formats.
Realised prices in 2026: £5 Memorial Crown BU in original Royal Mint card £15–£25; silver Piedfort (mintage 5,500) £145–£220; gold proof (mintage 400) £3,500–£4,500 at current gold price. The circulating 50p Memorial is common — expect face value to about £3 in BU. As the first dual-monarch UK coin since the unissued 1936 Edward VIII issues, long-term historical significance is exceptional.
2023 Coronation 50p
Released 27 April 2023 to mark the 6 May coronation of Charles III at Westminster Abbey. The design depicts the Royal Crest encircled by symbols representing the four nations of the United Kingdom (rose, thistle, daffodil, shamrock). Circulating mintage 9,820,000, making it a common find in change today — expect face value to about £3 in BU.
The genuine collectables are the precious-metal variants:
| Variant | Mintage | Original retail | 2026 realised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circulating cupronickel | 9,820,000 | Face value | Face–£3 |
| BU in Royal Mint card | ~50,000 | £10 | £12–£25 |
| Colour silver proof | ~10,000 | £67.50 | £90–£145 |
| Silver Piedfort | 8,000 | £125 | £180–£250 |
| Gold proof | 500 | £1,180 | £1,800–£2,400 |
See our dedicated 2023 Coronation 50p guide for the full variant breakdown including the privy-mark and Coronation collector-set issues.
2023 Definitive Coinage: wildlife reverses
Charles III personally chose the new definitive reverses, reflecting his long-standing conservation interests. The eight designs replaced Matthew Dent’s 2008 “Royal Shield” family which had run on the Elizabeth II coins from 2008–2022.
| Denomination | Reverse | Designer (RM engraver) | Notable mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1p | Hazel dormouse | Royal Mint engraving team | Tens of millions |
| 2p | Red squirrel | Royal Mint engraving team | Tens of millions |
| 5p | Oak leaf and acorn | Royal Mint engraving team | Tens of millions |
| 10p | Capercaillie grouse | Royal Mint engraving team | Tens of millions |
| 20p | Puffin | Royal Mint engraving team | Tens of millions |
| 50p | Atlantic Salmon | Iain Macarthur | 200,000 (rarest C3 circulating) |
| £1 | Honey bee on flower | Royal Mint engraving team | Tens of millions |
| £2 | Commemorative themes (no fixed wildlife design) | Varies | Varies |
The 200,000-mintage 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p is by far the rarest Charles III circulating coin, and is now the rarest UK 50p in circulation full stop (overtaking the 210,000-mintage 2009 Kew Gardens). It carries no privy mark; see our dedicated Atlantic Salmon 50p guide for the full picture.
Which Charles III coins are actually valuable?
A sober summary for collectors as of 2026: most Charles III circulating coins are common and worth face value. The Royal Mint has been producing definitives in the tens of millions across denominations to flood the change supply after the 2022 transition. Where genuine numismatic value sits:
- 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p (200,000 mintage) — the only Charles III circulating coin with meaningful scarcity. £30–£80 circulated, £120+ BU.
- 2022 £5 Memorial Crown silver Piedfort (5,500) — first-monarch-transition coin, historical significance, £145–£220.
- 2023 Coronation 50p silver Piedfort (8,000) — first Charles III coronation issue, £180–£250.
- Gold proofs across all 2022–2024 issues — bullion floor plus collector premium typically 30–60% over melt.
For everything else, do not pay a premium for a common Charles III coin found in change — the supply is too large to support it. If you’re looking to build a Charles III collection, focus on either circulating-mintage rarities (Salmon) or the precious-metal collector formats; the middle ground of common BU singles is unlikely to appreciate meaningfully.
Featured Charles III coins on MyCoinage
Frequently asked questions
When did King Charles III coins enter UK circulation?
Who designed the King Charles III portrait on UK coins?
Which Charles III coins are valuable in 2026?
Are King Charles III coins legal tender?
How do the Charles III definitives differ from the Elizabeth II coins?
What is on the 2023 Charles III Definitive Coinage reverses?
Did Elizabeth II coins stop being issued in 2022?
How much is a 2022 Memorial Coin worth?
Will Charles III coronation 50ps become collectable?
How do I authenticate a Charles III coin?
Further reading
- Bee £1 coin value, the definitive £1 of the new reign.
- 2023 Coronation 50p — the dedicated variant guide.
- Atlantic Salmon 50p — the rarest Charles III circulating coin.
- 2022 Memorial Coinage — the dual-monarch transition coins.
- Rare 50p coins UK — the top 25 list incorporating recent Charles III additions.
- 2026 Royal Mint releases — what’s coming next.