The Royal Canadian Mint unveils the first coins bearing the face of King Charles III
The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled the first coins bearing the face of King Charles III on Tuesday at its Winnipeg manufacturing facility.
Marie Lemay, the president and CEO of the Mint, introduced the effigy that will soon adorn one side of Canadian coins and which will also be pressed onto a loonie for the first time.
“This is a big day for us at the Mint,” said Lemay during the unveiling. “Today, a new chapter in Canadian history begins.”
Lemay said it normally takes between a year to 18 months to circulate a new design on coins. However, the Winnipeg team worked tirelessly to meet the “ambitious timeline.”
To uphold long-standing traditions, the King’s profile faces left, opposite to the direction his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, faced. This change of direction is to differentiate one monarch’s reign to the next.
The description surrounding the King’s effigy is also different, changing from “Regina,” meaning “Queen” in Latin, to “Rex,” meaning “King.”
Another change is that the initials of the artist will also appear on the obverse.
During the 10-minute unveiling ceremony, Lemay activated the machine to strike the first $1 coin depicting King Charles III’s effigy.
While Canada is not obligated to put the monarch on its money, it is a tradition that dates back to 1908, when the Mint began producing coins during King Edward VII’s reign.
Alex Reeves, a spokesperson for the Mint, said there are no “significant costs” to designing a new effigy.
“Replacing dies to keep supplying the marketplace with new coins and engraving new designs on coins are routine aspects of our operations,” he told CTVNews.ca over email on Tuesday.
The new Canadian coin depicting King Charles III was unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.
Earlier this year, the federal government instructed the Mint and the Bank of Canada to replace the image of the late queen with one of the King on all coins and the $20 bill, following the King’s accession to the throne in September 2022.
The last time the Mint changed the Canadian coins to honour a new monarch was 70 years ago when the late queen was crowned, making this another historic transformation.
Other Commonwealth countries have also moved to replace images of the queen, including Australia, which is expecting about 10 million of its dollar coins to circulate by Christmas.
According to the Mint, a small number of 2023-dated coins with the King are going to circulate in Canada in early December.
All Canadian coins still in circulation with the queen are considered legal tender.
THE PROCESS TO CREATE A NEW DESIGN
Since 1990, Canadian coins have featured a royal effigy designed by Canadian artists, according to the Mint’s website. Dora de Pedery-Hunt’s work was featured from 1990 to 2002, and Susanna Blunt’s from 2003 until now.
This year, following the government’s announcement to introduce a new design, the Mint invited more than 350 Canadian artists and engravers on their database to submit a portfolio to their internal review panel.
The design concepts were evaluated based on aesthetics, technical requirements and mass-production suitability.
Then, the winning design was submitted to Buckingham Palace for approval. Once approved, the Mint started the engraving and tooling process, followed by production.
The new coin image features work by Canadian portrait artist Steven Rosati, who has designed other coins for the Mint, including six silver National Hockey League goalie coins and a 100th anniversary commemorative loonie in honour of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It is an added privilege to having had the honour of designing the coin effigy of His Majesty King Charles III,” said Rosati, about his work, during the ceremony.
Rosati said it was extremely meaningful for him to see his artwork permanently engraved on a coin that will be in circulation for generations to come.
With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

All 41 workers rescued from collapsed tunnel in India after 17-day ordeal
Rescuers in northern India have successfully removed all 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel under the Himalayas, the climax of a 17-day rescue operation to drill through rock and debris.
Andre Dawson wants the Expos baseball cap taken off his Hall of Fame plaque
Andre Dawson wants to be immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Chicago Cub – not a Montreal Expo.
Alberta town to put proposed bylaw banning symbols such as Pride crosswalks, flags to plebiscite
A group in Westlock, Alta., is trying to ban crosswalks painted in rainbow colours and other symbols.
Full parole granted to SUV passenger convicted in Calgary police officer's death
A man convicted of manslaughter for his role in the death of a Calgary police officer almost three years ago has been granted full parole.
Chicago Blackhawks to terminate Corey Perry's contract after finding 'unacceptable' conduct
The Chicago Blackhawks said Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct and took a step Tuesday toward terminating his contract, the latest twist involving the veteran winger who was mysteriously scratched and sent home last week without explanation.
With deadline looming, diplomats seek to extend Gaza truce; more hostages, prisoners are freed
Hamas and Israel released more hostages and prisoners under terms of a fragile cease-fire that held for a fifth day Tuesday as international mediators in Qatar worked to extend the truce and the United States urged Israel to better protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza if it follows through on its promise to resume the war.
Poilievre calling on 'unelected' Senate to 'immediately' pass farm fuels carbon tax bill
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is pushing for MPs to call on senators to 'immediately' pass a bill that would exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon price.
French police arrest yoga guru accused of exploiting female followers
French authorities arrested the leader of a multinational tantric yoga organization Tuesday on suspicion of indoctrinating female followers for sexual exploitation.
Short-term rental tax changes left out of Freeland's bill to implement fiscal update measures, here's why
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling an omnibus bill to pass measures she promised in last week's fall economic statement. Missing from the package are the government's promised plans to crack down on short-term rentals, while the Liberal promise to double the carbon tax rural rebate top-up, is included.
W5 HIGHLIGHTS

W5 George Chuvalo: the boxer nobody could knock down
Canadian boxing great George Chuvalo went blow-for-blow with legends, but it came at a cost. W5's Sandie Rinaldo speaks with Chuvalo's children about the damage that 93 fights did to their father's cognitive health. 'Boom Boom Chuvalo' airs Friday at 10/9 on CTV.

W5 Owners of prized historic N.S. home in legal nightmare, thanks to local government
W5 investigates: A couple buys a historic house in Nova Scotia at auction and puts hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovations, but the local government says they don't own the property.

W5 Who was the Kenora bomber?: W5 digs up clues that could reveal his identity
CTV W5 investigates the dramatic explosion that occurred in a small Canadian city after an armed bandit attempted a bank heist. W5 digs up clues that could reveal his identity.
'Understudied and unregulated': Green Party pushes to investigate asbestos in tap water
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has tabled a petition calling on the federal government to take urgent action on Canada’s aging asbestos-cement pipes due to the potential dangers of drinking tap water containing the deadly fibre.
A young race car driver from Canada is inspiring people all around the world
Austin Riley has been drawing crowds to the race track for years. But his claim to fame isn’t just being fast on the speedway, he is breaking barriers on the track for those with disabilities.
Court battle over Ontario's agriculture 'gag' laws kicks off in Toronto
A constitutional challenge of recent Ontario legislation that prevents the undercover filming of factory farms and the animals kept on them kicked off in a Toronto courthouse on Monday morning.
Despite perilous circumstances, incredible acts of humanity taking place amid Israel-Hamas war
The images and stories coming out of the war between Israel and Hamas are horrifying. Millions around the world have scrolled through the tragic scenes posted on social media with a growing sense of despair. It’s easy to forget that amongst so much inhumanity, incredible acts of humanity are taking place
'We can't speak': Barenaked Ladies band member on connecting to daughter through music
As a long-time member of the iconic Canadian band, The Barenaked Ladies, Kevin Hearn has played before large audiences all around the world, but his most cherished performances are before an audience of one in a Toronto area group home. That's where his daughter Havana lives.