• The Royal Mint has unveiled the seventh coin in its British Monarchs Collection featuring the remastered portrait of Charles II.

• Drawing on more than 1,100 years of experience, The Royal Mint has used modern techniques to remaster the original design to show how the coinage would have first appeared during the reign of Charles II.

• This coin is the latest release in a series of coins which celebrates the House of Stuart.

8^th June 2023: The Royal Mint, official maker of UK coins, has unveiled the seventh coin in its British Monarchs Collection, featuring a remastered portrait of Charles II, based on the original coinage portrait, designed by John Roettier and produced over 350 years ago.

This is the seventh coin in The British Monarchs Collection and is the latest release in a series of coins which celebrates the House of Stuart.

The Royal Mint’s talented design team have combined their exceptional craftsmanship skills with innovative technology to faithfully remaster Charles II’s original portrait. In the making of the original Charles II coin, the process of coin manufacture is mechanised, replacing the old method of hand striking. The reverse design of the coin is based on a five-guinea piece from 1668. A portrait of His Majesty King Charles III features on the obverse, uniting royalty past and present.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: “We are delighted to add Charles II to the popular British Monarchs Collection. The design team at The Royal Mint has worked to faithfully recreate Charles II’s original portrait with great attention to detail, using state-of the-art technology and numismatic processes. There has been significant international appeal with The British Monarchs Collection, with its coins being bought by collectors all over the world. We have seen a particularly large uptake in the USA.”

Charles II’s accession to the throne took place in 1660, over 11 years after the execution of his father, Charles I. Nicknamed the ‘Merry Monarch’, Charles II was one of the most popular monarchs to reign in Great Britain.

Newly crowned, Charles II invited John Roettier to England from Flanders and he was asked to submit designs and trial pieces for the King’s coinage. Following his success, Roettier became the main engraver at The Royal Mint during the reign of Charles II. Alongside designing the new coinage for Charles II, it was also Roettier’s responsibility to make medals and Great Seals. He remained at The Royal Mint for the majority of his life and was buried in the Tower of London following his death in 1703.

The Royal Mint’s British Monarchs Collection spans four Royal Houses – Tudor, Stuart, Hanover, and Windsor: formerly known as Saxe-Coburg, Gotha – remastering iconic designs in high definition for the first time thanks to the latest technology and minting techniques.

For more information about the Charles II coin, please visit British Monarchs House of Stuart | The Royal Mint. For more information about The British Monarchs Collection, please visit British Monarchs | The Royal Mint

ENDS

 

About The Royal Mint

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is Britain’s oldest companies and the original maker of UK coins.  Today The Royal Mint is a premium British maker, providing carefully crafted coins and precious metal products for the UK and overseas.  Based in Llantrisant, South Wales it has three main focuses as a business: Currency, Consumer (collectable and rare, historic coins) and precious metals investment.

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Every coin tells a story, from a rare gold Sovereign to a Peter Rabbit™ 50p coin. The Royal Mint aims to inspire collectors young and old and nurture a love of collecting through unique designs and popular themes. As the maker of UK coinage, we have unparalleled knowledge about coins, from the historic coins of our past, through to the collectable commemorative coins of today.  Sourcing and authenticating pre decimal coins is a natural fit for The Royal Mint as we struck each one.

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As a world authority on precious metals, The Royal Mint has traded and made products in gold and silver for centuries. Since launching its designated precious metals investment arm six years ago, The Royal Mint has grown rapidly to become the home of gold in the UK – increasing its market share and becoming the largest producer of bullion coins in Britain. As well as offering physical precious metal investment options in the form of bars and coins, The Royal Mint also offers a range of digital investment options including DigiGold, Little Treasures, designed for children, and Gold for Pensions

Celebrating with The Royal Mint

For over a thousand years The Royal Mint has marked the moments that changed the world on coins - from coronations to conflict, from commemorations to celebrations. The designs are captured on commemorative coins, minted in a range of metals.  Commemorative coins do not always enter circulation but give collectors the chance to purchase coins to keep and cherish.  Recent themes have included David Bowie, Winnie the Pooh, Decimalisation and Team GB. Each commemorative coin is carefully struck up to three times in order to create a superbly detailed finish, and ensuring each one meets the standards The Royal Mint is famous for. 

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The Royal Mint opened its popular visitor centre, The Royal Mint Experience, at its home in Llantrisant, South Wales in 2016. Since opening the award-winning attraction has welcomed around 400,000 visitors through its doors and is the place to explore the 1,100-year history of coins.

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