Royal Australian Mint reveals the future of Aussie money
The Royal Australian mint has revealed the future of Australia’s coins in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's passing.
Set to undergo a major revamp, King Charles III’s effigy will begin popping up on the back of newly minted coins in the new year.
In an interesting change, he will now be facing to the left. It’s part of a tradition that dates back to the reign of Charles II in the 1600s, in which each new monarch must alternate in the direction they gaze.
The Queen has been the only monarch to feature on Australia’s currency, which was introduced in 1966. The Queen’s face is minted on more than 15 billion coins, according to assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh.
Treasury has been working with the Royal Australian Mint as well as the Perth Mint to plan for a change in the effigy on Australian coins, which will be supplied by the UK Royal Mint.
Coins featuring the Queen will remain legal tender, so there will be a mix of both the new King and his mother in circulation for quite a while, with the coins featuring the monarch’s effigy to linger for an estimated 30 years at least.
Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on money more than any other person in history, with her face adorning currencies in 35 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Royal Australian Mint has also confirmed that it had “no plans” to submit a design for King Charles’ effigy.
Image: Royal Mint of Australia