King Charles III bank note designs revealed

The Bank of England unveiled its first bank notes featuring King Charles III on Tuesday, which will enter into circulation from the middle of 2024 to gradually replace those featuring his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles became king in September following the queen’s death after 70 years on the throne.

The new five, 10, 20 and 50 pound polymer bank notes feature a portrait of Charles on the front, as well as a cameo of him in the bank notes’ see-through security window, but are otherwise unchanged from their current designs.

“This is a significant moment, as The King is only the second monarch to feature on our banknotes,” BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement.

The queen first appeared on BoE bank notes in 1960, in contrast to British coins which have long featured images of the country’s rulers.

Britain’s Royal Mint began issuing the first coins featuring Charles’s profile into general circulation on Dec. 8.