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The King’s portrait will appear on all four banknotes issued by the Bank of England – £5, £10, £20 and £50 – with no other changes to the existing design.
Coins and stamps bearing the image of Charles are already on the market.
People may not notice the new notes immediately when changing or withdrawing from ATMs, not least because so many transactions are already cashless.
Although cash payments have declined over the years, they remain particularly important for lower-income households and those receiving welfare benefits at the local post office. Legislation was passed in 2023 as part of protecting access to cash.
In line with Royal Household guidelines, the new notes will only be printed to replace those that have worn out and to meet any general increase in demand – an approach intended to minimize the environmental and financial impact of the change.
There are more than 4.6 billion Bank of England notes in circulation, worth around £82 billion ($158 billion).
“This is a historic moment as we are changing the sovereign on our banknotes for the first time,” said Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.
“We know that cash is important to many people and we are committed to providing notes for as long as society demands them.
“The release of these new notes is a demonstration of this commitment.”
In April, Charles received the first banknotes featuring his portrait and praised them as “very well designed”, while expressing his surprise that he was only the second monarch to feature on them.
Although the Bank of England began producing banknotes in the 17th century, Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the first British monarch to receive the honor in 1960 on the £1 note.
People will be able to buy the new currency at selected post offices across the UK.
“Our local customers come into our branch every day to withdraw or deposit cash for their everyday needs, so we were excited to be one of the first branches to feature the new notes,” said Karen Stoneham, branch manager at Portsmouth Post Office in southern England.
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