The new banknotes bearing the image of King Charles III, which will enter circulation in June, will be presented to the public from Wednesday at an exhibition organized by the Bank of England in London. The 5, 10, 20 and 50 pound sterling notes on display at the central bank’s premises feature a portrait of the sovereign published in 2013 and approved by the sovereign in 2022 following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II .
After ruling the United Kingdom for 70 years and having the first sovereign depicted on banknotes, “this transition is a first for the public,” emphasizes Jennifer Adam, curator of the museum. The unprecedented change comes as King Charles III, who announced earlier this month that he was suffering from cancer, has stepped back from public engagements while he undergoes treatment.
The banknotes with the image of Elizabeth II will remain valid and the new ones will “gradually replace the banknotes that are too “old and worn out,” said Adam.
“We will have to wait some time” after it is circulated, on June 5, 2024, so that those with the image of Charles III. can be widely distributed. These new banknotes will also be made of polymer – stronger and with a plastic texture – rather than paper like the other banknotes issued in the UK since 2016.
dmr