Coins by Monarch
The Royal Mint’s story goes all the way back to Alfred the Great and we’ve struck coins for every British monarch since. During the reformation, a new British coinage tradition began. Each time a monarch ascended the throne, their coinage portrait would face in the opposite direction to that of their predecessor. Although the reason for this is not certain, it may have started because Charles II wanted to turn his back on Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth.
