Charles III beautifies fresh currency bills
Starting from December 2022, the portrait of King Charles III has been featured on coins. Now it’s time for banknotes to follow suit. From today, banknotes depicting the monarch are being circulated for the very first time. However, it will take some time before the people of Britain start referring to the new £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes as their own.
Over 20 months into his reign, King Charles III is finally seen on banknotes. The designated designs for £5, £10, £20, and £50 have been released into circulation since yesterday, while the rest of the design remains unchanged. Dr. Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England Governor, expressed his joy at this historic milestone. The banknotes displaying Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8, 2022, will continue to remain valid.
Every since 1960, the British Bank has been showcasing the image of the monarch on its currency. Charles is only the second British monarch to be featured on banknotes, with coins bearing his portrait having been in circulation for much longer.
It may take some time before most citizens of the United Kingdom possess one of the new banknotes. The royal family has instructed the printing of the new notes to replace worn-out ones or cater to any potential generated demand. The objective is to minimize the potential environmental and financial effects of this transition.
In the UK, billions of banknotes are in use, overall worth around £82 billion. Despite the decline in cash transactions in everyday life, primarily due to the pandemic, money still holds importance to many, as confirmed by Governor Bailey.
Research by the service provider Post Office exhibited a significant raise in cash transactions at its branches in April. The total reached £3.48 billion, a new record high. Altogether, there are 4.6 billion notes of the Bank of England in circulation, valued at £82 billion.
