Forecourt staff will have to get used to a new-look one pound coin from today.
Nearly three million coins bearing the official portrait of His Majesty King Charles III, and inspired by the monarch’s conservation efforts, entered circulation today,
The coins, which feature British bees, have been issued to UK Post Offices and banks, and will soon be making their way into consumers’ pockets and purses.
The bees are one of eight new designs that will appear on the nation’s currency, from the 1p to the £2 coin, featuring various animals, such as the red squirrel and hazel dormouse, currently in active conservation programmes.
Unveiled in October last year, the new designs will also show a larger number denoting the coin’s value in a bid to help children better understand the value of money.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint, says: “We know there’ll be a buzz of excitement amongst collectors and the public to get this special piece of history in their change. We hope the designs across all denominations spark important conversations about the conservation of these important species.”
