In New Zealand, the first coin bearing the effigy (image) of King Charles III will be the 10 cent coin. These photos are production samples of the new coins that will be in circulation around 2027.
The production of coins is called minting. New Zealand does not have a mint, and our coins and banknotes are produced overseas. The new King Charles III 10 cent coin is being minted by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Only the design on the heads (obverse) side of the 10 cent coin will change to show the change in sovereign. The tails (reverse) side of the 10 cent coin will still have an image of the koruru (the carved face on the gable of a meeting house).
Mintings of the 20 cent, 50 cent, $1 and $2 coins with the King Charles III effigy are likely to be around 2027. Coins typically enter circulation about 2 years after production.
Did you know?
The King’s portrait faces left to keep with the longstanding tradition of depicting the portrait of the new monarch in the opposite direction to the previous sovereign.
- We receive pre-production samples of the new coin to check and approve before starting the full production run.
- We check the coins for quality, weight, size, security properties and that they match the design we ordered.
- Once the production samples pass all the quality control checks, we place a production order.
- The year 2024 is stamped on the coin as this the year we placed the production order with the Royal Canadian Mint.
- The King's effigy was designed by Dan Thorne, an illustrator and designer at the Royal Mint. The King approved our application for the effigy in March 2024.
Will coins bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II be taken out of circulation?
All existing coins and $20 banknotes bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II that are currently in circulation will continue to be legal tender. We don't plan to destroy existing stock or withdraw them early from circulation. This will also help us minimize any environmental impacts. Because of this, New Zealanders can expect to see coins with the Queen on them for a few more years.
We'll let everyone know when the new King Charles III coins are due to enter circulation. If you use or handle cash, you won't need to do anything differently.