July 5th 2023.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, coins featuring King Charles's image entered circulation in 2022. As many as 9.6 million of the coins are expected to be in circulation. One of the first coins to feature the monarch is the 50p coin, however, some might have noticed something different about it - Charles does not have a crown and faces left instead of right.
The reason Charles is not wearing a crown on the 50p coin is due to a royal tradition that only female monarchs wear a crown on their coins. This is supported by the coins issued during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria, both of whom were pictured wearing the headwear. However, Charles' predecessors William IV and King George VI did not wear a crown on their coins.
The only exception to this is the commemorative 50p coin designed for Charles' coronation, which features him wearing the Tudor Crown. This image was personally selected by the King, despite the crown being destroyed in the 1640s.
The reason Charles is facing left on the coin also has to do with tradition. Each new monarch faces in the opposite direction to their predecessor, and Queen Elizabeth II faced right on coins featuring her portrait. The only exception to this rule was King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson in 1936. He chose to face left on his coins as he felt it captured his better side, although these coins never entered circulation.
King Charles is set to receive Scottish crown jewels during a special ceremony. It will be interesting to see how the coins featuring his image evolve over time.
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