See Australia’s new dollar coins featuring King Charles III’s face on the back

The first Australian dollar coins featuring King Charles III’s face on them have been unveiled by the government. 

Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh on Thursday released a photo showing what the king’s face will look like on dollar coins.

The coins will enter circulation before Christmas. 

The Royal Australian Mint is starting production on the coins featuring King Charles III’s effigy.

Mr Leigh had confirmed the news last week. 

‘I’m keen to make sure we get a lot of those new coins out, because I know for the vast majority of Australians, this will be the first time they hold a coin in their hand which has a King rather than a Queen on it,’ he told ABC Canberra.

The Labor Minister described it as a ‘big moment’ for the country.

Coins with Elizabeth’s effigy will still be in circulation and considered legal tender.

Mr Leigh added that the Royal Australian Mint will continue to ‘run their dies with the Queen’s effigies on them to the end of their natural life’.

‘And then they’ll just substitute in dies with the King’s effigy, and so they’re familiar with doing this,’ he said.

The only difference between the Charles and Elizabeth coins is Charles will be facing the opposite direction to his mother.

While Elizabeth faces right on her coins, Charles will be looking left.

Elizabeth’s effigy is on Australian coins and the five dollar note.

She is the only monarch to be featured on coins after Australia switched from pounds to dollars and cents in 1966.

Charles will only be featured on coins as Australia is set to release a new five dollar note with an Indigenous design in the coming years.

Charles became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8 last year.