King Charles 10-Pence Coins Circulate

The redesigned 10-pence coin has entered circulation in the United Kingdom, marking the first time a circulating 10-pence coin carries King Charles III’s portrait. Originally revealed in October 2023, the denomination hadn’t been released due to low demand. Now, 600,000 examples dated 2023 and 6.5 million dated 2026 have been released, though coins bearing King Charles III’s portrait still only make up about 1 percent of the 24.1 billion coins in circulation across the United Kingdom. As a result, the new issues offer a potential collecting avenue for numismatists. 

The 10-pence coin features King Charles III’s effigy on the obverse, with the capercaillie, the world’s largest grouse, on the reverse. The bird, which is found in a small area of Scotland, is threatened with extinction and is on the UK conservation red list. “It’s a stark reminder that more of these coins will enter circulation than there are capercaillies left in the wild,” says Rebecca Morgan, director at the Royal Mint. “We hope that by putting this extraordinary bird into millions of pockets and purses, we can spark a nationwide conversation about a species at real risk of vanishing from Britain forever.”