The Passing of Queen Elizabeth II Means One Thing for Sure: New Coins & Bank Notes are Coming

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of a new sovereign, King Charles III, there will be a number of new coins and banknotes issued by the United Kingdom and members of the Commonwealth. As the longest serving British sovereign ever, Queen Elizabeth II featured on thousands of different coins and banknotes over the years. Indeed, specialized collections are formed around items with the Queen's various portraits that have been used over her long reign. The coronation of the Queen was on June 2, 1953, just over 16 months after the death of King George VI. Coins dated 1953 bore the portrait of the new Queen. Thus it is reasonable to expect the 2023 dated coins to feature the portrait of the new King.

Going back to the reign of Queen Victoria, the British monarch was featured on the coins of all British colonies and later as these areas gained independence and joined the Commonwealth of Nations they retained the portrait. Nations which issued banknotes featuring Queen Elizabeth II include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Bahamas, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Solomon Islands, Guernsey, Eastern Caribbean States, and the Cayman Islands. More recently, multiple nations have replaced the Queen's portrait with native historic persons, however usually at least one denomination retains the Queen. 

Finally, there will surely be many different commemorative coins and banknotes issued by nations of the world honoring the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which will add even more designs and pieces to collect.