Portraits Of Charles, Prince Of Wales On British Coinage

Please Note: This article was published before Prince Charles became King Charles III.

At some point in the future, we'll see Prince Charles' face all over our coinage. What will that effigy look like? The answer right now is we just don't know, but the history of royal numismatic portraits and previous depictions of the Prince of Wales on commemorative Royal Mint coins might give us some clues.

Who Is Prince Charles?

Born in 1948, Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the late Prince Philip. As a senior member of the royal family he undertakes official duties on behalf of the Queen and acts as the patron of more than 400 charities and organisations. His own charity, The Prince's Trust, supports vulnerable young people. His other interests include climate change, heritage conservation, the arts and sustainable farming. Charles is also known for his marriage to and subsequent divorce from Princess Diana with whom he had two children: Prince William and Prince Harry.

Charles has been heir apparent to the British throne since his mother became Queen in 1952. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 and invested in 1969 at Caernarfon Castle. This title was traditionally used by native Welsh royals but has been used by the heir to the British throne for the last few centuries. The current Prince of Wales is both the oldest and the longest serving heir in British history: he was 73 at the time of writing.

The Prince of Wales in 2012. Dan Marsh / CC BY-SA 2.0.

If Charles keeps his name when he becomes king he will be Charles III. He doesn't have to though. His grandfather, George VI, went by Albert before he ascended the throne in 1937.

Previous King Charles' don't have excellent reputations and a Jacobite pretender very publicly claimed the title 'Charles III' in the eighteenth century. Maybe Prince Charles will choose one of his middle names? Phillip, Arthur or George could work but would it be a bit confusing? We'll have to wait and see.

What Will King Charles III of England's Coin Portrait Look Like?

For the last few hundred years, official coinage portraits have shown British royals in profile, mostly bare-headed or wearing a wreath of laurels. Elizabeth II is shown in her portraits wearing a diadem or crown but will Charles do the same? Charles I appears crowned on his coins and that's not an example any new king will want to follow.

Traditionally, British monarchs face the opposite direction to their predecessors on their coins. This practice dates back to the time of Charles II. Edward VIII would have broken this tradition if his coinage had entered circulation - he reportedly preferred his left side. Maintaining a sense of continuity with his father, George V, after Edward's abdication, King George VI chose to face left on his coinage. His daughter, Elizabeth, faces right so her successor will likely face left, like his grandad.

Elizabeth's first coinage portrait was chosen through an anonymous competition, won by sculptor Mary Gillick. Four subsequent portraits of Elizabeth have been seen on British currency, charting her long reign. New royal portraits will likely be picked in the same way. Entries are assessed by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee and their choice is approved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and ultimately the monarch themselves.

The current definitive portrait of Elizabeth II is the work of Jody Clark who was an engraver at the Royal Mint when the design was introduced in 2015. Charles' portrait might be created by a Mint employee or another talented artist who can work to the exacting parameters required for circulating coinage.

A monarch's coinage is not issued immediately after they succeed but after their coronation. There will certainly be a gap of several months between Prince Charles' accession and his coronation, allowing time to plan a grand celebration. This means that Charles could acceed his mother in one year and not be crowned until the following one. We'll probably see proof sets and other commemorative issues released to mark the coronation, as well as gradually finding his face in our change in the following months.

What Coins Has Prince Charles Appeared On?

Prince Charles has appeared on four British coins over the last few decades. Each of these has been a commemorative Crown. The Crown no longer circulates in the UK but is often used by The Royal Mint to celebrate royal milestones and anniversaries.

You can find each of these coins in a range of metals and finishes, suitable to every budget.

1981 Charles and Diana Royal Wedding 25p Crown

Buy a 1981 silver proof Royal Wedding Crown.

Prince Charles features in a smiling double portrait alongside Lady Diana Spencer on a collectible coin issued to celebrate their 1981 wedding. The couple were married at Westminster Abbey in July of that year in a ceremony televised to an estimated 750 million viewers worldwide.

The conjoined, left facing profiles were crafted by Philip Nathan who might be better known as the artist behind the reverse of most Britannia bullion coins. His initials - PM - appear by Charles' collar. The pair are show 'couped' (the portraits are cropped at the neck) and surrounded by the legend: 'H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES AND LADY DIANA SPENCER' with date below (1981). This is paired with Arnold Machin's youthful third definitive portrait of Elizabeth II to the obverse with a legend reading: 'ELIZABETH II D · G · REG · F · D ·'.

The face value of a Crown coin in 1981 was Twenty Five Pence, prior to the denomination being re-tariffed in 1990 to Five Pounds. 

1998 Prince Charles 50th Birthday £5 Crown

Currently in stock: 1998 Prince Charles coins in BU and silver proof (shown above).

In 1998, Prince Charles celebrated his fiftieth birthday and The Royal Mint marked the occasion with a limited edition Five Pound coin.

The reverse design was a collaboration between portrait painter Michael Noakes and one of the Mint's engravers, Robert Elderton. Their design is a tribute to Charles' charity, The Prince's Trust, founded in 1976. Today, the Trust's mission is to help young people between 11 and 30 get into jobs, education, or training. The fiftieth birthday Crown shows a suited three-quarters portrait of the Prince of Wales above a ribbon reading 'THE PRINCES TRUST. HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED.' Behind the Prince's head are words relating to the positive work done by the Trust, including 'advice,' 'enterprise,' and 'confidence'. Around the edge of the reverse is the legend: 'FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY OF HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES · 1948 · FIVE POUNDS · 1998'. Adorning the obverse is Ian Rank-Broadley's effigy of Her Majesty the Queen, introduced in this year.

2008 Prince Charles 60th Birthday £5 Crown

Available now: Prince Charles 60th birthday piedfort Five Pound silver proof coins.

2008 saw another milestone birthday for the Prince, marked with a minimal reverse on another Five Pound Crown.

The obverse of these sixtieth birthday pieces again show Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Her Majesty the Queen, facing right. Rank-Broadley is also responsible for the reverse portrait of Charles - distinctly older than when he last appeared on coinage but still highly recognisable. The twin portraits of mother and son make a nice pair with the truncated effigy of Charles bearing some resemblance to the clean-lined, uncrowned portrait of his grandfather, George VI, by Humphrey Paget. The legend 'THE PRINCE OF WALES' appears above with 'ICH DEIN' ('I serve' in German) below. The edge reads 'SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY'.

Interestingly, the portrait faces right, rather than left as Charles' monarchic portrait will. Otherwise, Rank-Broadley's portrait may bear a close resemblance to the design that will feature on the next king's coinage, minus a few more fine lines.

2018 Prince Charles 70th Birthday £5 Crown

The latest portrait of the Prince of Wales to appear on British coinage.

Robert Elderton created the portrait that appears on the 2018 Crown coin that celebrates Prince Charles' seventieth birthday. He also worked on the 1998 50th birthday commemorative coin. This is a simpler design than that one and shows another right-facing portrait of Charles wearing a jacket and tie. The words 'H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES' appear above and '70TH BIRTHDAY' is inscribed below. This is paired with Jody Clark's portrait of Her Majesty to the obverse.

These 2018 Five Pound coins were available in platinum and platinum piedfort, as well as the unusual range of BU, silver and gold options.

It's interesting to see the Prince age through this succession of commemorative coinage. Whenever he succeeds, Charles will start his reign as Britain's oldest new king. These previous portraits may provide an insight into his eventual coinage effigy but who knows? Maybe he'll break the mould and have himself show facing forward, ears in full view? Can we say that?

Sell A Royal Mint Prince Charles Coin

If you've got a commemorative coin with a portrait of Prince Charles on then we would be interested in buying it. Visit our Sell Your Coins page for more information then contact us for a quick quote. We buy commemorative Crowns in BU, gold and silver as well as an extensive range of modern and historic coinage for fair, industry-leading prices.