The death of Queen Elizabeth II has set in motion a wide range of changes to a number of items most people use on a daily basis, such as coins, banknotes and stamps.
The first portrait of the late monarch was introduced at the beginning of her 70-year reign in 1953 and the most recent was unveiled in 2015, meaning that, for most people, this will mark the first time coins and banknotes have changed during their lifetime.
In this article, we’ll outline the changes to coins, banknotes and stamps you can expect, as well as what else will change, as the current circulation depicting Queen Elizabeth II is gradually phased out and replaced by images of King Charles III.
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What will happen to coins and banknotes?
The Royal Mint has confirmed that coins and banknotes depicting the profile of King Charles III will be unveiled before the end of the year and gradually introduced by banks and post offices as older coins and banknotes become damaged and worn.
However, because there are over 27 billion coins and banknotes currently in circulation, a co-circulation period is expected to last until mid-2024. The first Bank of England banknote depicting Queen Elizabeth III face, for example, was not introduced until 1960 – eight years after she succeeded her father in 1952.
The Bank of England has also confirmed that it will continue to issue coins and banknotes bearing the late monarch to minimise the environmental and financial impact of the switchover.
What will happen to postboxes and stamps?
Because there are still some postboxes depicting King George IV’s royal cypher, GR, 70 years on, postboxes bearing Queen Elizabeth’s royal cypher, ER, are unlikely to be removed but instead replaced by postboxes depicting King Charles II’s, CR, when they’re damaged or broken.
There will also be some changes to stamps with images of Queen Elizabeth III gradually replaced by images of King Charles II but, during this time, current stamps will remain valid and continue to be accepted until official guidance states otherwise.
However, Royal Mail has warned that thousands of stamps will become unusable on January 31, 2023, when the postage service introduces stamps with scannable barcodes. This deadline will see thousands of non-barcoded stamps treated as “insufficient postage” but they can still be swapped online after this date.
The postage service has also introduced a series of stamps in memory of the late monarch that are due to go on sale on November 10.
What will happen to other currencies?
The Queen features on 35 currencies worldwide, including Canada, Jamaica, Bermuda, St. Lucia, New Zealand and Australia, which, according to Guinness World Records, is more than any other monarch.
However, it is up to each individual jurisdiction to decide whether coins and banknotes depicting the Queen will remain legal tender or be replaced and with the currency still expected to be in circulation for years to come, there are no current plans for it to be withdrawn.
In Canada, there has been speculation on social media that portraits of the monarch will be replaced by different designs but no official decision has been made.
Will there be any other changes?
The profile of Queen Elizabeth II on coins, banknotes and stamps being swapped for King Charles III is the biggest difference you can expect but it isn’t the only change.
For example, the direction the monarch is facing will change with King Charles III set to face the left on coins, banknotes and stamps. This has been the case since the 17th century and means that when William, Prince of Wales, ascends the throne, his portrait will face the right.
The UK passport system will also change with wording tweaked slightly to reflect the late monarch but this will only be applied during the renewal process so there is no need to panic or do anything unless your passport has expired.
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