7,000,000 new coins with King’s face to enter circulation

Millions of new 10p coins with the King’s portrait will be pumped out today after the latest issue by the Royal Mint.

Eagle-eyed people still using coins might soon spot that something has changed with the 10p coin.

Released into circulation today, the shiny new 10p coins will feature the King’s portrait for the first time.

The coins are being released because of increased demand for the 10p denomination, the Royal Mint said.

Until now, the 10p coin has featured a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Those coins will remain legal tender and in active circulation along with the new King Charles coins, with the aim of ensuring a smooth transition that has minimal environmental impact.

The Royal Mint said that 600,000 2023-dated and 6.5 million 2026-dated 10p coins featuring Charles are entering circulation across the UK.

The other side of the new coin, known as the ‘tails’, will feature the capercaillie bird.

The design was inspired by the flora and fauna of the British Isles, in a nod to the King’s penchant for conservation.

King Charles 10p coins will be available from post offices and bank branches.

How rare is the new 10p coin?

The Royal Mint, the official maker of the British coins, said the Charles coins represent just 1% of the 24.14 billion coins in circulation today, making them highly sought after.

The monarch’s portrait has already been etched on the 5p, 50p and £1 coins since 2022 after Charles ascended to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth at the age of 96.

If you are on the hunt for the UK’s rarest coin, look out for the 2023 Atlantic salmon 50p – there are only 200,000 of them in circulation.

The second-rarest coin is the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, of which 210,000 were minted.

Rebecca Morgan, director at the Royal Mint, said: ‘This is a landmark moment for the nation’s coinage, as people begin finding the very first 10p coins bearing the King’s portrait in their change.”

Commenting on the bird design, she said: ‘We hope that by putting this extraordinary bird into millions of pockets and purses, we can spark a nationwide conversation about a species at real risk of vanishing from Britain forever.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.