Sept. 27 (UPI) — The Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace marked the transition to a new monarch by stamping mail with the new insignia of King Charles III for the first time on Tuesday.
The new insignia, featuring the letters C and R, along with the Roman numeral three, beneath a crown, will eventually appear on British mailboxes, government buildings and on official documents.
The cypher’s initials refer to his name and title — Charles and Rex, which is Latin for king.
Charles ascended the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8. She was 96 and reigned for 70 years, the longest of any British monarch.
The Royal Mint announced Tuesday that Charles’ image would soon appear on coins in the United Kingdom. The Bank of England has stated that the design of new bank notes will be unveiled by the end of this year.
And the Royal Mail announced that Charles’ image will be featured on Machin Definitive “everyday” stamps that currently feature the image of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Stamps featuring the image of the late queen that have already been printed will be sent into circulation as planned, as will mailboxes featuring the queen’s insignia.
The new stamps, including first- and second-class “definitive” stamps, with the image of Charles, as well as mailboxes featuring the new king’s royal insignia, will be put into circulation as the current stocks are depleted.
The stamp image will be revealed “in due course,” according to the Royal Mail Group.
Everyday stamps have recently been updated to feature a barcode, though stamps that don’t feature the barcode will be valid through January and can be traded for newer versions.
Charles’ silhouette will also be featured on a new series of special stamps.
The Royal Mail has stressed that stamps with the queen’s image remain valid, while the Royal Mint emphasizes that coins with the image of the late queen would also remain in circulation as valid currency.
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