1. When will the coins featuring King Charles be released?
A. late October 2022
B. December 2022
C. February 2023
D. May 2023

2. When you “unveil” something, you …
A. show it to the public for the first time.
B. are the first person to become aware that it exists.
C. think that it is good enough to be used.
D. admit that you are responsible for it.

3. How many 50-pence coins will be released?
A. two million
B. seven million
C. 27 billion
D. information not given

4. How is King Charles’ portrait on the coin different to the late Queen Elizabeth’s?
A. He is smiling in the portrait.
B. He holds a sceptre.
C. He faces a different direction.
D. all of the above

5. According to the podcast, what does royal tradition determine about new coins?
A. The current monarch’s portrait faces in the opposite direction to its predecessor.
B. All portraits have to be created by an officially appointed sculptor.
C. Portraits can only be shown on 50-pence coins.
D. They have to be personally approved by the Royal Mint.

6. What did Jennings create the portrait based on?
A. his own memory of King Charles
B. a painting of the king
C. King Charles’ photo
D. a marble sculpture of the king

7. What do the words surrounding the portrait say?
A. “King Charles, by his Grace, Protector of the Realm.”
B. “King Charles III, by his Grace, Protector of the Realm.”
C. “King Charles, by the Faith of God, Defender of Hope.”
D. “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith.”

8. What is King Charles wearing on his head in the portrait?
A. a hat
B. a crown
C. a wig
D. nothing

9. How long has the royal family been featured on coins?
A. 10 decades
B. less than 500 years
C. more than 1,000 years
D. 3,000 years

10. What was the first British head of state to be depicted on coins also known as?
A. Edward the Hammer
B. Alfred the Great
C. William the Sailor King
D. Harold the Harefoot

11. Which word can replace “bearing” in the podcast?
A. showing
B. emphasising
C. figuring
D. posing

12. How many coins are there currently with Queen Elizabeth’s portrait on them in Britain?
A. 27,000
B. 700,000
C. seven billion
D. 27 billion

13. What is the lifespan of each coin?
A. 20 years
B. 200 years
C. 2,000 years
D. information not given

14. Why might there be fewer coins depicting King Charles’ face compared to Queen Elizabeth’s?
A. because he is not as popular as the queen
B. because coins are slowly being phased out
C. because it costs the Royal Mint a lot more to produce coins today
D. because British citizens are unwilling to pay the Royal Mint to produce the coins

15. What is one reason given in the podcast for the delay in releasing banknotes with King Charles’ portrait?
A. to prevent counterfeiting of the existing currency
B. to honour the late queen
C. to lessen the environmental impact of creating new banknotes
D. to minimise the confusion of having two different monarchs featured on the same currency

The image of the new monarch was created by British sculptor Martin Jennings and has been personally approved by King Charles. Photo: EPA-EFE

Answers

1. B

2. A

3. D

4. C

5. A

6. C

7. D

8. D

9. C

10. B

11. A

12. D

13. A

14. B

15. C

Script

Voice 1: Earlier this month, Britain’s Royal Mint unveiled the first coins to feature the portrait of King Charles. Britons will begin to see Charles’ image on their change from around December, when 50-pence coins (HK$4.50) with his depiction will gradually start to enter circulation.

Voice 2: The image of the new monarch was created by British sculptor Martin Jennings and has been personally approved by Charles. Charles’ portrait is shown facing to the left, the opposite direction to his mother, following a royal tradition in which coins’ orientation is reversed for successive monarchs. According to Jennings, the portrait was sculpted from a photo of Charles and was the smallest piece of work he had created.

Voice 1: Charles is shown without a crown. A Latin inscription surrounding the portrait translates to “King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith.” Based in south Wales, the Royal Mint has depicted Britain’s royal family on coins for over 1,100 years, documenting each monarch since Alfred the Great. Charles acceded to the throne on September 8, 2022 upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who died at age 96.

Voice 2: Around 27 billion coins bearing Elizabeth’s image currently circulate in the United Kingdom. Because coins can last 20 years, these coins will not be removed unless they are worn or damaged, so it will be a while before all the coins change to Charles’ face.

Voice 1: The change comes at no cost to citizens, the mint says, because coins are constantly being produced to replace worn ones. With cash use dropping in favour of cards or mobile payment, fewer coins may be needed in the future.

Voice 2: Although coins are changing, UK banknotes will remain the same for now. The Bank of England has announced that it will continue to issue existing notes featuring the queen, following guidance from the Royal Household to “minimise the environmental and financial” impact of any changes. New banknotes are set to be unveiled by the end of the year and are expected to enter circulation by 2024.