King Charles IIIwill not be replacing the lateQueen Elizabeth IIon Australia’s new $5 bill.
Thecountry’s central bank announced the newson Thursday and confirmed that the banknote will feature a new design that honors “the culture and history of the First Australians.”
The other side of the bill, which the bank said will take years to be designed and printed, will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.
The current banknote features a portrait ofQueen Elizabeth, whodied in Septemberat the age of 96.
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“The Bank will consult with First Australians in designing the $5 banknote. The new banknote will take a number of years to be designed and printed. In the meantime, the current $5 banknote will continue to be issued. It will be able to be used even after the new banknote is issued.”
“First Australians” refers to Australia’s Indigenous population, or First Nations people, who are made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and comprise around 3.2% of the country’s population.
While he’s not appearing on the new note, King Charles, 74, is still set to be featured on Australian coins. Andrew Leigh,Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, told ABC Radio that the Royal Australian Mint is expected to start producing the coins in the “second half” of 2023.
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Officials also confirmed that coins currently in circulation featuringQueen Elizabeth’s image will remain legal tender “forever”.
In December, The Bank of England released images of Charles onfour U.K. banknotes(£5, £10, £20 and £50) for the first time.
The new design will feature a main portrait of the King,who will be coronated in May, on the front side and a smaller cameo inside the currency’s see-through security window.
Bank of England
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“I am very proud that the Bank is releasing the design of our new banknotes which will carry a portrait of King Charles III,” Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement.
“This is a significant moment, as The King is only the second monarch to feature on our banknotes. People will be able to use these new notes as they start to enter circulation in 2024.”
source: people.com
