20 October 2022
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The Royal Mint has unveiled an official 50p featuring Harry Potter to celebrate 25 years since the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling was first published in the UK in 1997 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
The first coin design in the new series was unveiled live to collectors and Wizarding World enthusiasts online on 8 September. The virtual unveiling was held at The Royal Mint’s visitor attraction in South Wales and was attended by fans around the world.
The Harry Potter coin, available on a range of denominations including 50p, is the first of four coins to be issued to celebrate the stories.
Mandy Archer, Editorial Director at Bloomsbury Children’s Books said:
"The Royal Mint’s stunning coins are the perfect souvenir of Harry Potter’s silver anniversary! Jim Kay’s depiction of the wizarding world is unique and extraordinary – we can’t wait to see his work magically move beyond the printed page and onto this enchanting new medium."
Read more about Harry Potter 50p and other coins in our special guide
Harry Potter coin designs
Modelled by Ffion Gwillim at The Royal Mint, the coins feature the work of Jim Kay, the artist who created the first fully illustrated edition of this Harry Potter story.
All of the coins in the range (except the ¼ Oz denomination due to the limited size of the surface) also feature a ‘latent feature’ which rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the number ‘25’ to mark the anniversary year.
Jim Kay, illustrator and designer of the Harry Potter coin collection, said:
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It is the same for most aspects of publishing – because you are on your own all of the time in a studio, none of it quite seems real until you see the book on a shelf in a shop. Then you think ‘oh yeah! I did that!’ This is completely new to me though, a coin!”
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How the Harry Potter coins were made
An advanced picosecond laser was used by The Royal Mint to imprint the intricate design onto coin making tools to ensure accuracy, and create an additional, special effect to further enhance the coin’s design.
Ffion Gwillim, The Royal Mint designer who modelled the artwork onto coins, said:
“The Harry Potter illustrations are so iconic and recognisable, we wanted to faithfully recreate them on a UK coin for the first time. Working with Jim Kay, we’ve created a collection which is a fitting celebration to the original artwork and the iconic story.”
The first coin in the collection celebrating Harry Potter will be available to purchase from The Royal Mint’s website later this month.
The Royal Mint will reveal the exact launch date across its social channels "in coming weeks" but collectors and Harry Potter enthusiasts can register for regular updates around the launch on The Royal Mint’s website.
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How much are my 50p coins worth?
Find out how much your 50p coins are worth and how many were minted with our special guide. Download the 30-page e-book for FREE when you sign up to receive the All About Coins newsletter. Sign up today!
