The first British pound (£1) coin to bear the official portrait of King Charles III has gone into general circulation and is part of a collection of coins inspired by plants and animals found in the four nations of the United Kingdom.
The latest design, featuring two bees, has been made available to post offices and banks, with nearly 3 million coins already in small shops and consumers’ wallets.
All of the plant and animal species included in the designs, under the King’s supervision, are in active conservation programs and depict flora and fauna found in different parts of the UK.
The £1 note depicts a hazelnut tree, the £2 note a red squirrel, the £5 note an oak leaf, the £10 note the endangered weed, the £20 note a courgette and the £50 note a salmon.
The £1 coin depicts two bees and the £2 counterpart a rose for England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland and a shamrock for Northern Ireland.
The coins have been phased in since last November, replacing the current shield, which bears an emblem of the nations of origin: A rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek, and was introduced under Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said: “We hope the designs across all denominations will spark important conversations about conserving these important items.”
In a poll of almost 3,000 people carried out by the Royal Mint, the £1 coin won first place among all eight designs, with the £2 counterpart depicting the red squirrel in second place
Source: Ot.gr
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