29 October 2019
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The Royal Mint has today (29 October 2019) revealed details of a new Wallace & Gromit 50p coin, celebrating three decades of the comical duo.
The coin is inspired by the original Wallace & Gromit short film, A Grand Day Out which saw the pair build and launch a rocket ship to the moon, where they tuck in to a picnic of moon cheese and crackers.
Featuring the Latin inscription ‘CASEUS PRAESTANS’, which translates to ‘cracking cheese’, the coin depicts Wallace and Gromit and the outer shell of the rocket ship that took the duo to the moon. The coin was designed by the creator of Wallace & Gromit, Nick Park and the team at Aardman.
30 YEARS OF FUN
Since A Grand Day Out was first screened in 1989, Wallace – a good-natured, eccentric and cheese-loving inventor – along with his companion Gromit – a silent yet loyal and intelligent dog – became one of the nation’s most loved, iconic duos. The pair went on to star in three further half hour specials and are internationally celebrated winning over 100 awards at festivals - including 3 Academy® Awards and 5 BAFTA® Awards.
Nicola Howell, Director of the Consumer Division at The Royal Mint, said: “Wallace and Gromit are two of Britain’s most loved characters, so we felt it was only right that we marked this momentous anniversary by giving them a place on UK coinage. The films are such a huge part of our popular culture and are loved by generations of all ages, so we’re delighted that we can be a part of the 30th anniversary celebrations.”
Nick Park, Creator of Wallace & Gromit and Director at Aardman, added: “When A Grand Day Out was first screened thirty years ago, we never expected for Wallace & Gromit to become such a long-standing, well-loved series around the world. It’s been an honour to work with The Royal Mint to bring the pair to life in a new way and everyone at Aardman is so excited to see the pair on a coin.”
COIN DETAILS
Available in a range of finishes from The Royal Mint website, the coins start at £10 for Brilliant Uncirculated finish coin, whilst the limited edition silver proof coins capture Wallace & Gromit in vivid colour detail. The coin will not be entering general circulation.
Fans of the duo will be able to strike their own Wallace & Gromit coin at The Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant, Wales, where there will also be Wallace & Gromit sets on display for a limited time only. On 1 November, Aardman model making experts will be running clay modelling workshops from the visitor centre, where you can make your own Gromit to take home.
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Wallace and Gromit 2019 UK 50p |
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Coin title |
Wallace and Gromit 2019 UK 50p Gold Proof Coin |
Wallace and Gromit 2019 UK 50p Silver Proof Coin |
Wallace and Gromit 2019 UK 50p Brilliant Uncirculated Coin |
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Denomination |
50p |
50p |
50p |
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Issuing Authority |
UK |
UK |
UK |
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Alloy |
916.7 Au – Red |
925 Ag Sterling Silver |
Cupro-Nickel |
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Weight |
15.50g |
8.00g |
8.00g |
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Diameter |
27.30mm |
27.30mm |
27.30mm |
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Obverse Designer |
Jody Clark |
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Reverse Designer |
Nick Park |
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Quality |
Proof |
Proof |
Brilliant Uncirculated |
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Limited Edition Presentation |
630 |
25,000 |
Unlimited |
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RRP |
£980.00 |
£65.00 |
£10.00 |
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