Two of the world’s leading coin mints have confirmed their coins will feature Queen Elizabeth II Memorial obverse designs for 2023 following speculation over a potential change to King Charles III. Both Perth Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint have confirmed the transitional designs will allow them to continue to produce coins whilst changing to their future designs at a later date.
The Canadian Mint and Perth Mint Memorial obverse designs as seen on their respective sites.
Thanks to their history with the British Empire and modern Commonwealth, both Australia and Canada have featured Queen Elizabeth II on their coins during her reign. Following the Queen’s passing last year there has been speculation over if and when the countries would change to a new King Charles III effigy, as The Royal Mint has done at the start of this year.
Australia’s Perth Mint have now confirmed that their 2023 collectable and investment coins will feature an updated Jody Clark design with the years of the Queen’s reign. The mint also confirmed that they will be changing to a Charles III obverse at the end of the year – “Developing an interim obverse allows the Mint to continue producing collectable and investment coins until the transition to an effigy of King Charles III.”
Read the full press release from Perth Mint.
The Royal Canadian Mint have opted for a similar design, featuring the Queen’s years of reign, and four pearls to denote the four obverse designs of Elizabeth II to feature on Canadian coins. Interestingly the Canadian Mint has been more cautious regarding their future plans, saying only – “The Mint is also introducing an updated obverse design that will appear on 2023 collector and bullion coins until a new permanent obverse is adopted on Canadian coins.”
It seems less clear then as to whether the Canadian Mint will transition to a Charles III design or change to a new non-monarchy based obverse. The country has followed the tradition for many years but is not bound by any rule to feature the King on their coins and notes going forward.
Read the full press release from The Royal Canadian Mint.
For both mints then it seems likely that any 2023 bullion coins such as the Maple, Kangaroo, Koala etc, will feature these new transitional effigies. As the end of the year approaches however and 2024 coins go into production it’s likely we will see new designs from both.
