It will take until 2023 for the effigy of King Charles III to appear on Australia's coins, but his mother's portrait is expected to be circulating for a long period after that.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Royal Australian Mint's online shop was flooded with customers on Friday morning, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II was announced overnight.
Treasury has been working with the Royal Australian Mint, based in Canberra, and the Perth Mint in recent months to prepare for the necessary change in effigy, which will be a gradual process.
New coins with the effigy of the late Queen may continue to be minted. Coins with the late Queen's effigy will remain legal tender, as are all Australian coins minted since decimalisation in February 1966.
Australia's Currency Act requires an effigy of the Australian head of state to be on the obverse of the country's coins.
READ MORE:
Six effigies of Queen Elizabeth appeared on Australian coins since her coronation in 1953, with major updates in 1966, 1985 and 1998 and 2019.
The portraits of the Queen face to the right, followed a convention that began with the reign of Charles II (1660-1685) that the new monarch's portrait must face in the opposite direction to their predecessor.
More to come ...
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
