Last Queen Elizabeth £1 coins released alongside King Charles versions

The last £1 coins to feature the late Queen Elizabeth II have officially entered circulation, marking the closing of a historic chapter in British currency.

More than 23 million of the coins, bearing the Queen’s profile and dated 2021 and 2022, are now being introduced across the UK. For the Royal Mint, it is a moment of symbolism as one monarch’s image gives way to another in the nation’s coinage.

At the same time, a further 7.5 million £1 coins featuring King Charles III are entering tills and purses. His portrait has already appeared on some £1 and 50p coins since 2023, but this wider release signals the steady rise of his presence on everyday money.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, described the moment as “pivotal in British coinage history”. She explained that the simultaneous release of the final Queen Elizabeth coins and the latest King Charles coins was “the physical representation of our monarchy’s transition”.

She also suggested that spotting the coins could encourage new collectors. Discovering one in change, she said, might “spark a rewarding hobby”.

The 2022 batch of coins is expected to become the rarest in circulation, with just over 7.7 million set to be released. The Mint confirmed that although the coins were struck up to four years ago, they are only now being introduced to meet demand for £1 coins.

Across the UK, there are around 24.7 billion coins currently in use. The King’s coins account for a tiny fraction of that number — just 0.004% of the total. Last year, nearly three million £1 coins with his portrait were issued, each featuring a bee design on the reverse. The insect was chosen to reflect the King’s deep interest in nature and the environment.

The bee design is part of a wider refresh of Britain’s circulating coinage. A full set of eight new motifs, spanning denominations from 1p to £2, will eventually showcase creatures from the nation’s wildlife. Among them are the red squirrel, puffin, and dormouse, intended to celebrate both British biodiversity and the King’s longstanding conservation work.

Though the coins are unchanged in shape and size, the new designs feature larger numbers to make them easier for children to recognise and use when learning to count.

The redesign follows the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 and the accession of King Charles. It means that for many years to come, coins carrying both monarchs will circulate side by side.

The Royal Mint emphasised that all existing coins bearing the late Queen’s profile remain legal tender and will continue to be accepted in shops and banks. On average, coins last around two decades before they are gradually withdrawn, meaning her image will remain a familiar sight in pockets for years.

For the Mint, the release is part of a lineage stretching back over a millennium. It has produced the coinage of every monarch since Alfred the Great, and today’s transition continues that unbroken tradition.

For the public, though, the coins serve as something more intimate. Beyond their practical role, they are tokens of continuity and change — a reminder of one reign closing and another beginning, captured in the small details of everyday life.