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Numismatists Spot "Secret Image" On New British Coins and Postage Stamps [1]

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Date: 2023-02-20  

QR Codes have now replaced phosphor strips for machine reading of their value.

With the accession of King Charles, the designs on the currency and postage stamps is being changed. Portrait images of Elizabeth are being replaced with new versions showing Charles. The image on the stamps is based on tue design by Martin Jennings for the coinage for the Royal Mint. The portrait first appeared on £5 and 50p (£0.50) coins commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth last year.

The inscription is unusual in Charles’s name not being shown in Latin (Carolinus) however the rest , apart from Rex are abbreviations for Dei Gratia Rex, Fidei Defensor — “by the grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith”.

Numismatists have now spotted what they claim is a secret image in homage to the King’s promotion of enviromental policies as Prince of Wales and his love of nature.Once seen, it is almost impossible to unsee. Can you spot it? (Answer will be at the end.)

The £5 “Crown” is legal tender although rarely used in practice. Coins and stamps bearing the late Queen’s image can still be used (unless there is a fundamental re-design of the coins’ format or size). New Bank of England notes with a different portrait on the front and in the clear “watermark” window will be issued from 2024 and will retain the same colors and reverse sides as present (£5 featuring Sir Winston Churchill, £10 Jane Austin, £20 JMW Turner and £50 Alan Turing).

Old notes showing Elizabeth II will continue to be issued until the existing stocks are used up. The most used of the polymer notes, £5 and £10 have an expected “use life” of 5 years so again there is likely to be a mixture until sufficient Charles III versions are in circulation or the design changes. The paper BoE £1 million and £100 million notes do not bear the monarch’s portrait. They are used for internal bank purposes, mainly for the deposit of notes by the various Scottish and Northern Irish banks who issue their own notes. Those companies have different designs.

While £5 coins are rarely issued to mark highly significant events, the 50p and £2 coins have frequent new issues. The current series of 50p designs commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter books started last year so will have “heads” sides showing both Elizabeth and Charles as the different designs are issued, the first with the King depicting Dumbledore. They also have the “hologram” feature which appears on the one Pound coin. On the £1 a small square shows either “£” or “1” depending on the angle light falls on it. With the Harry Potter series a circular feature shows either “25”, for the anniversary or a lightning flash.

A Word in Your Ear

Did you spot the little bird that appears to be perched on Charles’s ear?

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/20/2154033/-Numismatists-Spot-Secret-Image-On-New-British-Coins-and-Postage-Stamps

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