Royal Australian Mint CEO, Leigh Gordon, has taken to Cooleman Court shopping centre in Canberra to do his charity Christmas shopping with a pocket full of brand new shiny King Charles III coins.
“Australia has been anticipating the new King Charles coins since the passing of the Queen in 2022. Crafting them has certainly been a big part of life for our team at the Mint, and it’s finally happened… The King has left the building and is on his way into the public mainstream. We should start seeing them in our change very, very soon,” Mr Gordon (pictured, right) said.
“Majority of Australians have only ever seen the image of Queen Elizabeth II on our currency.

“The Queen ruled for 70 years. Most people in the Australia have never seen another monarch represented on their coins. The last time the effigy was changed was upon King George VI’s death in 1952.”
The new effigy was designed by British coin designer, Dan Thorne. Once the model had been received by the Royal Australian Mint, in-house coin designers modified the design to make sure it would work on all Australian currency. The model underwent months of testing and through a number of adjustments before the final effigy was determined.

As for coins with The Queen’s effigy? All coins currently in circulation remain legal tender, regardless of the fact that the monarch has changed.
“These coins will continue to circulate across Australia for many years,” Mr Gordon said.
As one of the first people in the country to spend his King Charles III coins, Mr Gordon is using the opportunity to kick-start the Mint’s annual Pack the Bus Christmas Appeal, by donating the gifts he purchases under the tree in the Mint foyer.