Succession Planning

[Fulvio]

The hyperbole re the "Colourful Change" promo is already pretty intense.

Yup. The Royal Australian Souvenir Factory is getting "better" at this crap.

[triplewitch]

As for "salivating at the prospect", I sometimes wonder if the opposite might not be the case. I've always wondered what the mints will do if the queen happens to die late in the year (After September, say) when they've already struck and sold coins bearing the next year's date with the now-deceased monarch's portrait on them. I think they'll discover then that there are potentially embarrassing flaws and issues with creating post-dated coins.
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Surely they wouldn't have any choice but to carry on until the new image is prepared and approved.-John

[Sapyx]

One thing is, they won't be quick about introducing a new royal portrait, if they decide that post-QE2 coins need a portrait. They don't have a portrait of Charles sitting around "ready to go" - they need to arrange for an official portrait sitting, which won't be done until quite a while after the period of mourning; it's not exactly a high priority for a new monarch. They can't have an official coinage portrait sitting for the heir-apparent before the current monarch dies, it would send completely the wrong message: "Hurry up and die already".

In the past, we've always used whichever royal portrait the Royal Mint supplied us. I've always assumed that, for the next monarch, Australia will 'go it alone' and commission our own artist to make a uniquely Australian portrait for use on Australian coins. Canada has been using its own local talent for the portrait on their coins since 1990.

[Fulvio]

...uniquely Australian portrait for use on Australian coins...

Why did I just see a mental image of Charlie hanging onto an Emu's neck for dear life as it charges across the desert? That would be uniquely Australian, right?

[Mister T]

I've always assumed that, for the next monarch, Australia will 'go it alone' and commission our own artist to make a uniquely Australian portrait for use on Australian coins. Canada has been using its own local talent for the portrait on their coins since 1990.

If that's what happens then I hope our local talent does a much better job than Canada's.