By Fetty Rara
THE monogram of the United Kingdom’s newest monarch, King Charles III’s was revealed Tuesday on the closing day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.
The emblem, known as the king’s cypher, will be used on government buildings, state documents, and some post boxes, reports CNBC.
The emblem spots the initial C intertwined with the letter R for Rex, the Latin word for king. The Roman numeral III is placed at the centre of the R, and a crown above the letters.
The cypher was selected from a several designs prepared by the College of Arms, a 500-year-old body that is in-charge of the issuance of new coats of arms and other aspects of heraldry in England. Meanwhile, a Scottish version of the cypher features the Scottish Crown, and has been approved by Lord Lyon King of Arms, who holds similar responsibilities in Scotland.
The Bank of England will release the images of new bank notes featuring a portrait of the king by year’s end.
Coins and bank notes featuring the images of the late Elizabeth II will be replaced only as they wear out, so initially currency bearing pictures of both monarchs will circulate in tandem, said the central bank in a statement on Tuesday.
The new notes will begin circulation by the middle of 2024, said the bank.
We can confirm that coins struck at The Royal Mint bearing King Charles III’s portrait will enter circulation in line with demand from banks and post offices, co-circulating with existing coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II. We’ll share further details soon. https://t.co/EgwjQBkbeu
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) September 27, 2022
Polymer bank notes featuring the royal images are replacing paper notes, with the £20 and £50 notes withdrawn as legal tender after September 30.
The Bank of England said they can still be used before that time, but starting from October 1, the paper currency will no longer be accepted for business transactions, although many banks in the UK will accept them as deposits.
-BTS Media
