Now that King Charles has ascended to the throne, I'm guessing all the money featuring Queen Elizabeth II will be replaced. I don't have a lot of English money lying around, but I do have some coins that I thought I could use again when I visit next spring. Can anyone tell me if these coins will still be accepted, or if I have some "expensive souvenirs"? Thanks!
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
We aren’t just going to rip up all our existing currency and replace it immediately! I would imagine it will take years to phase out Lizzie for Charlie - Willie will probably be king by the time the Lizzie notes and coins are removed from circulation.
Posted by
OP
Pennsylvania, USA
742 posts
@Jennifer, Thanks! I figured it would be acceptable for some time to come, but I wasn't sure. It never even crossed my mind until a friend mentioned it recently.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23642 posts
For what I understand, it will be good for a long time - especially the coins and the plastic bills last much longer than paper. US should take note. You will be fine.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8123 posts
Your bigger risk is notes taken out of circulation in favor of new polymer versions. If you have any paper notes, you will need to go to a Bank of England to exchange them. Coins will not be an issue.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17560 posts
All of our US paper currency features deceased presidents whom we still honor. Why would the UK be any different?
Posted by
Freedonia
16408 posts
As was stated earlier in the thread, be more concerned if you have paper bills rather than polymer bills. The paper ones have been taken out of circulation but can be exchanged at the Bank of England.
According to the Bank of England, bank notes with the likeness of King Charles III won't enter circulation until mid-2024.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33991 posts
It will take a while.
The first coins with a likeness of His Majesty King Charles III have just been struck - they are 50p pieces. All other modern 50p pieces are still interchangeable.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10631 posts
Another paper/polymer money issue I had a couple of weeks ago in London was that a shop wouldn’t accept the £20 bill I got in Scotland.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5466 posts
Coins are only withdrawn if worn or damaged or superseded by ones of a different size / metal colour.
Bank of England notes are replaced periodically by new series but they have announced that only the monarch's portraits and monograms are going to be changed and this would not be considered a new series. Probably because they were all changed within the last few years.
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2600 posts
The Sovereign is always known as His/Her Majesty. HRH is used for other "lower" ranking royals
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7051 posts
In monarchies it is common to have the sovereign on coins and stamps. But when there is a change on the throne, the old coins and stamps don't become invalid. You can still find euro coins with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands or Juan Carlos I of Spain e.g.
Sweden got new coins a couple of years ago, but before that it was not uncommon to still find coins with king Gustav VI Adolf on them. And he died in 1973.
Posted by
OP
Pennsylvania, USA
742 posts
Thank you all for your helpful information!
I was very surprised in 2016 when I learned that my little box of coins I had gotten in the 1980s in England had some currency that had been replaced.
The only paper money I have is a five pound note that's taped into my travel journal. It was too much of a hassle to cash it in and it was no longer usable.