Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

King Charles III debuts on £1 coin with bee design

Nearly 3 million coins featuring the new design are being distributed via Post Offices and banks across the country

King Charles III debuts on £1 coin with bee design

THE first £1 coins featuring King Charles III, adorned with a design celebrating British bees, entered circulation in the UK on Tuesday (20).

A total of 2.975 million coins are being distributed through Post Offices and banks nationwide.


The Royal Mint announced that this bee tribute is one of eight new designs set to appear on UK coins, ranging from one pence to two pounds.

These designs feature animals like the hazel dormouse, puffin, and Atlantic salmon, all species involved in active conservation efforts, reflecting the 75-year-old monarch’s commitment to environmental causes.

“The Royal Mint has made the circulating coinage of each of Britain’s monarchs since Alfred the Great and it is an honour to reveal that King Charles III’s one-pound coin is now in circulation,” said Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at the Royal Mint.

“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,” she said.

The design symbolises the over 250 species of bees which exist in Britain such as bumblebees, mason bees and mining bees.

“These industrious insects play a pivotal role in pollinating many plants and fruiting trees. They can be found all over the country, commonly in gardens, parks, woods, orchards and meadows, and now on the reverse of the UK one-pound coin,” reads the Royal Mint description.

First revealed in October last year, the Mint said the new designs highlight King Charles' passion for conservation with the number indicating the value of each coin also enlarged to help children understand the value of money.

Unifying the new coins is a unique repeating pattern featuring three interlocking C’s, taking its inspiration from history and the cypher of Charles II. Meanwhile, the flora and fauna on the coins look to the future and the importance of the natural world.

Following the reveal of the designs, production of the coins began with several million struck by the Royal Mint in South Wales. The Atlantic Salmon 50 pence was the first of the eight designs to enter circulation at the end of 2023.

In a poll hosted by the Royal Mint, the 1-pound coin was crowned as the favourite among all eight-coin designs, with the 2-pence depicting the Red Squirrel following closely in second place. Close to 3,000 people cast their votes to crown their favourite design, with the one-pound coming out on top with nearly 30 per cent of the votes.

Each coin has been created with the support of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), with commemorative sets of the coins also available from the Royal Mint’s website. (PTI)

More For You

Southport stabbings: Terrorism watchdog rejects definition change

FILE PHOTO: Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle in Southport, England (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Southport stabbings: Terrorism watchdog rejects definition change

TERRORISM watchdog has rejected calls to redefine terrorism following last summer's tragic Southport murders, while recommending a new offence to tackle those intent on mass killings without clear ideological motives.

Jonathan Hall KC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, published his highly anticipated report on Thursday (13), concluding that the existing definition of terrorism should remain unchanged despite growing concerns about violent attackers with unclear motives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Commonwealth wreath-laying ceremony held in London

A military piper, choir, and the Sikh soldiers of the British Army took part in the ceremony.

Commonwealth wreath-laying ceremony held in London

A WREATH-LAYING ceremony was held at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill in London on 10 March to honour Commonwealth servicemen and women who fought in the First and Second World Wars.

Lord Boateng, chairman of the Memorial Gates Council, led the event, highlighting the importance of remembering those who served.

Keep ReadingShow less
Student visas

The ongoing negotiations focus specifically on business mobility, addressing only the relevant business visas

iStock

Student visas excluded from UK-India FTA talks, says government

THE government last week clarified that only temporary business mobility visas are part of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Other types of visas, such as student visas, will not be included in the trade deal, it was revealed during a debate in the House of Lords.

Keep ReadingShow less
India Detains Crypto Administrator Wanted by US for Laundering

Aleksej Besciokov, was charged with money laundering and accused of violating sanctions and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, according to the US Justice Department. (Photo: US Secret Service)

India arrests crypto administrator wanted by US for money laundering

INDIAN authorities have arrested a cryptocurrency exchange administrator at the request of the United States on charges of money laundering conspiracy and sanctions violations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Wednesday.

The arrest follows a joint operation by the United States, Germany, and Finland, which dismantled the online infrastructure of Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Getty

Starmer said that the change would free up funds for doctors, nurses, and frontline services while reducing red tape to accelerate improvements in the health system. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starmer scraps NHS England, brings health service under ministerial control

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer has abolished NHS England, bringing the health service under direct ministerial control.

The decision reverses a key reform introduced by former health secretary Andrew Lansley during the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less