The first coins bearing King Charles’ image will be minted in Winnipeg on Tuesday and are expected to be in Canadians’ wallets in a few weeks.
After 70 years of minting coins bearing the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Canadian Mint will convert its presses and begin printing the face of King Charles III. begin. Tuesday also offers the opportunity to discover the effigy chosen to illustrate King Charles.
The Royal Canadian Mint had already offered for sale coins with King Charles’ royal monogram, but not his face, last spring. These were collectibles, including pure gold coins with a legal value of $200, but whose retail price was $4,199.95.
Many Queen Elizabeth commemorative coins have also been issued since her death on September 8, 2022.
In a sign that royalty is captivating collectors, the Royal Canadian Mint said in its second-quarter financial reports last August that it expects to beat its 2023 financial forecasts.
“The success of numismatic products honoring the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. also contributed to the Mint’s financial results for the quarter,” the government organization noted.
The launch of the first coins bearing the image of King Charles comes almost a year after the United Kingdom issued 50p coins featuring the new monarch’s face from December 8, 2022.
Every year the Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg produces around 1 billion coins.
Recall that last spring the federal government also asked the Bank of Canada to replace the queen’s face with that of her successor on the $20 bills, a process that could take a few years.