Official UK Coronation Coins Revealed…
The Royal Mint have revealed a special Coronation portrait of King Charles III, which will feature on the United Kingdom’s range of Coronation Coins.
The portrait shows King Charles III wearing the Tudor Crown, a design that is unique to the Coronation Range – this includes the UK’s first Coronation 50p, a £5, an Ounce and a Sovereign.
The 50p itself features a design by Natasha Jenkins of the King’s Royal Cypher, alongside the front of Westminster Abbey where he will be crowned on 6th May 2023.
The £5 coin, designed by renowned coin artist Timothy Noad, features the St Edward’s Crown joined by other Coronation Regalia.
And finally, the Ounce coins feature a heraldic design by John Bergdahl.
All designs have been personally approved by the King himself and will be available from 9am on 24th April 2023, on The Westminster Collection’s website.
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Behind the design: The Coronation Masterpiece that’s already SOLD OUT!
The ‘Masterpiece’ is undoubtedly a flagship specification for Westminster collectors that truly lives up to the name.
Authorised to commemorate King Charles III’s Coronation, the masterpiece coin is struck from 5 ounces of Pure Silver to a pristine proof finish. The exquisite design pays tribute to the Coronation Regalia that will be used when the ceremony takes place on 6th May.
A closer look at the design…
The reverse features a beautiful heraldic design by Quentin Peacock. It takes inspiration from the regalia and Crown Jewels which are integral to the Coronation ceremony. The six windows showing each item represent the stained glass at Westminster Abbey.
The Crown Jewels are undeniably the most complete collection of royal regalia in the world. At the heart of the Crown Jewels is obviously the Coronation Regalia, sacred objects used in the coronation ceremony. So the six treasures featured on the Masterpiece Coin are:
- Sovereign’s Sceptre – This sceptre represents the sovereign’s spiritual role, with the dove symbolising the Holy Ghost. Traditionally it has been known as ‘the Rod of Equity and Mercy’.
- Sword of Offering – one of the objects with which the sovereign is invested during the coronation ceremony.
- St Edwards Crown – the crown used at the moment of coronation. A solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines. The crown has a velvet cap with an ermine band.
- Eagle-shaped Ampulla – used to hold the consecrated oil with which a sovereign is anointed during the coronation ceremony. It’s cast in the form of an eagle with outspread wings.
- Sovereign’s Orb – a representation of the sovereign’s power. It symbolises the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe, and the bands of jewels dividing it up into three sections represent the three continents known in medieval times.
- Ancient Coronation Spoon – The Archbishop pours holy oil from the Ampulla into the spoon, and anoints the sovereign on the hands, breast and head. The anointing is the most sacred part of the coronation ceremony, and takes place before the investiture and crowning.
Meet the designer
Quentin Peacock has been illustrating heraldry for fifteen years. During this time, he has created many seals and medal art works. Quentin began illustrating in 1999, having studied Graphic Design and Illustration at university and has subsequently worked on many heraldic commissions over the years.
Credit: The Society of Heraldic Art
A note from the artist: “It has always been my aim to demonstrate how beautiful heraldry can be created digitally and even to look as if it has been hand painted. Digital heraldry will never (and neither should it) replace hand-created heraldic art, but we are in a digital age and the need for professional digital heraldry is growing. It is my intention to make sure that it is done well and even to serve as an inspiration to other artists.”
Striking the masterpiece
The Masterpiece Coin is struck from 5 ounces of Pure Silver and uses selective 24ct Gold-plating to enhance key elements of the design.
This stunning coin has been struck to a beautiful proof finish, the highest quality finish. Creating the mirror-like finish requires immense craftsmanship. The dies used to strike the coin are painstakingly hand finished to sharpen the design and remove any imperfections.
Additionally, the dies are regularly removed from the press and re-polished during production, ensuring every coin is minted to the highest standard.
Shop the King Charles III Coronation Range
And as I mentioned earlier, the incredible Coronation Masterpiece coin has already completely SOLD OUT. However, you can browse the full coronation range here >>
King Charles III awards Maundy Money for the first time as reigning monarch
Maundy Thursday is an Easter tradition that dates back to 1622 during the reign of Charles II. The tradition involves the monarch gifting members of the public special coins as part of a special ceremony.
His Majesty attends his first Maundy Service as King
Today, King Charles III attended his first Maundy service as reigning monarch at York Minster. Hundreds of people lined the streets approaching the Minster, many arriving before 7am to get a front row spot.
Credit: The Royal Family on Twitter
The King and Queen Consort, Camilla arrived at the cathedral around 11am and preceded to award specially minted coins to 148 people in recognition of their work for their church and community. The service concluded with the national anthem and a blessing.
What coins were awarded?
The coins awarded included a white purse containing silver Maundy coins equivalent in value to the age of the King. Also awarded was a red purse containing two commemorative coins.
Credit: The Royal Family on Twitter
This year, the commemorative coins gifted were a £5 coin issued to celebrate His Majesty’s upcoming 75th birthday and a 50p coin marking the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generation. Both of these coins featured in the 2023 Annual Coin Set, which caused record breaking sell outs at the Royal Mint.
Within just 16 minutes of release, the Silver Proof and Silver Piedfort specifications of the 2023 Annual Set were no longer available to order at The Royal Mint. Other premium limited specifications sold out in less than an hour.
The 2023 Annual Coin Sets are still available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, secure yours here >>
Queen’s Reign coin honours traditional Maundy money
The 2022 Queen’s Reign £5 coin honouring Charity and Patronage featured a design of traditional Maundy money. This represented Queen Elizabeth II’s advocacy and support of more than 600 charities across the UK and Commonwealth during her incredible 70 year reign.
Secure yours in Brilliant Uncirculated quality >>
