Conservation at Heart of New UK Coins

The Royal Mint has unveiled eight new coin designs inspired by flora and fauna across Britain that will soon appear on official UK coins, ranging from the 1p to the £2. They will replace the current shield formation of UK coins introduced in 2008, and their introduction will mark the final chapter of HM King Charles III transition onto British coinage.

The images on the new coins feature animals, some of which are endangered, and plants from all four nations of the UK, reflecting the King’s passion for conservation and the natural world.

Personally approved by His Majesty, they include a hazel dormouse (1p), red squirrel (2p), oak leaf (5p), capercaillie, which is a grouse native to Scotland (10p), puffin (20p), Atlantic salmon (50p), bees (£1), and the national flowers of the four nations of the country (£2). Each coin has been created with the support of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The new designs will start to enter circulation from 2024 in line with demand from banks and UK post offices.