King Charles III's first official British coins, Queen Elizabeth II's last auctioned

The King, Queen wave from Buckingham balcony King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave to supports from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The inaugural British coins featuring the portrait of King Charles III, alongside the final coins of Queen Elizabeth II, were auctioned on Monday.

The Royal Mint, known as the original creator of U.K. coins, has auctioned a distinct collection of gold and silver bullion coins featuring Britannia and Sovereign designs.

These coins were designed to honour the transition from the late Queen Elizabeth II to the current monarch, King Charles III.

Titled “Royal Succession” the unique collection was exclusively offered by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in their August 2023 Global Showcase Auction on Aug. 21.

The auction featured the final 500 official British coins struck under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the first 500 coins featuring the portrait of King Charles III. This collection will encompass the 2022 Gold Sovereign, the 2023 Silver 1oz Britannia, and the 2023 Gold Britannia coins, including various sizes like 1oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, and 1/10oz Gold Britannia coins.

In a press release issued Aug. 17, Stack’s Bowers Galleries announced that they were chosen by the Royal Mint of Great Britain to auction this collection.

“The British Monarchy has always garnered an enthusiastic, worldwide following and it is an honour to assist The Royal Mint in bringing these important coins to a global audience,” president of Stack’s Bowers Galleries Brian Kendrella said in the press release.

“This remarkable collaboration provides an opportunity for collectors to acquire a tangible and captivating treasure linking pivotal chapters of British and world history.”

The Sovereign coin series, which is the Royal Mint’s flagship coin and one of the most trusted bullion coins in the world, has been a cornerstone of worldwide trade since its inception in 1489 by Henry VII, according to the press release.

Crafted from 22-carat gold, the coin series comes with a guarantee of accuracy to five decimal places, according to Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

“This auction is truly unique and features The Royal Mint’s Sovereign, one of the most trusted and recognizable bullion coins in the world, as well as the Britannia, the most visually secure bullion coin in the world. It holds real significance, capturing a moment in time, and allows astute investors the opportunity to possess a tangible piece of British history. We anticipate the auction will be popular with investors across the world,” Nick Bowkett, head of bullion sales at The Royal Mint, said.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries says that each coin undergoes grading and encapsulation by the prominent grading service Numismatic Guaranty Company.

Additionally, some coins bear custom labels featuring signatures from Queen Elizabeth II’s final Assay Master Graeme Smith, the King’s Assay Master Paul Morgan, and The Royal Mint CEO Anne Jessopp. The role of Assay Master has been in existence for centuries and is designated to ensure the integrity of British coinage under the reigning monarch, according to Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

As cited in the release, the Britannia effigy first appeared on British coins in 1672 under Charles II. The modern bullion coin series started in 1987, featuring four top-tier security elements. These ensure easy authentication, making Britannia the world's most visually secure bullion coin.

Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.