Posts Tagged ‘50p’
BBC 50p celebrates 100 years of British History
The recently issued 100 Years of BBC UK 50p proved incredibly popular, with all limited edition presentations selling out within just 2 hours of release.
Did you manage to secure one for your collection?
You can still secure the 100 Years of BBC 50p in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>
The British Broadcasting Corporation has provided information, education and entertainment globally for a century. We thought what better way to mark their 100 year anniversary than looking at some of the important events that the BBC has broadcasted.
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 was the first major service to be televised by the BBC. 27 million people in the UK watched the ceremony on television and a further 11 million listened to their radio broadcasts.
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilees
During her incredible 70 year reign, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated many jubilees. Most significantly, her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 was one of the most watched televised events of recent times.
A record breaking 13.4 million people across the UK watched the Platinum Jubilee celebrations on television in June.
You can secure the ultimate Platinum Jubilee souvenir today – the Platinum Jubilee weekend collection. Click here to get yours >>
The six 24 Cart Gold-Plated Commemoratives feature iconic photographic images from the historic weekend celebrations.
The Olympics
The 1948 Olympic Games were held in Wembley, and the BBC televised the games for the first time, screening over 50 hours of coverage during the 2-week event.
When the Olympics returned to London in 2012, the BBC covered all the events and a staggering 51.9 million people – 90% of the population – tuned in.
In 2021, a UK 50p was authorised for release to celebrate Team GB’s participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – which was once again televised by the BBC.
The FA Cup Matches
2022 marked 150 years of the FA Cup. During BBC One’s coverage of The FA Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool, viewer numbers peaked in the final half hour of the match with 8 million people watching.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup, The Royal Mint issued this £2, which sold out in all limited-edition presentations within just HOURS of issue!
Royal Weddings
The marriage of Charles and Diana took place in 1981 and remains one of the most-watched programmes on the BBC, with over 28 million people tuning in to either watch or listen to the coverage.
In 2011, Prince William married Kate Middleton and more than 13.6 million people watched the coverage on BBC One, making theirs the third most-watched Royal Wedding.
Which of these BBC broadcasts do you remember watching or listening to?
Secure the 100 Years of BBC 50p in brilliant uncirculated quality here>>
A history of sought-after Harry Potter collectables
The UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p is now available, and it features a special lenticular element. In this blog, I’ll tell you why Harry Potter collectables are some of the most sought-after out there…
The stories of Harry Potter are among some of the most-popular in the world.
In fact, more than 500 million copies of the Harry Potter books have sold worldwide!
Around the world, Harry Potter themed collectables and memorabilia are extremely popular with collectors and fans alike.
Particularly, first editions of Harry Potter collectables, or those with unique features are particularly in-demand.
Considering the brand new Harry Potter 50p is both a UK FIRST and it includes a special lenticular feature, it will surely follow in some HUGE footsteps. But, how much have previous Harry Potter collectables sold for on the secondary market?
Sought-after Harry Potter collectables
Let’s take a look at some Harry Potter memorabilia that has fetched HUGE sums on secondary market sites….
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a fictional book mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and it was brought to life when JK Rowling hand-wrote and self-illustrated 7 copies of the book.
Credit: Good Housekeeping
All 7 copies were bound in Moroccan leather and decorated with silver ornaments and semi precious stones. These books are incredibly rare with only 7 in existence.
Subsequently, one sold at auction for £1.95 million, a world record for a modern manuscript!
This is a key example of how edition limits can drive up demand for collectable items.
Considering the strict worldwide edition limits of the precious metal Harry Potter 50p coins, we don’t expect these to be available for long…
Chocolate Frog Trading Cards
The Gold Albus Dumbledore Trading cards, available in the Harry Potter Chocolate Frogs, were previously been listed on eBay for over $900!
These cards are especially in demand as they are only available from Universal Studios in Japan and feature a special lenticular design.
Credit: eBay
Like the Albus Dumbledore Trading Card, the UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p excitingly also features a unique lenticular feature.
Evidently, Harry Potter themed collectables with strict edition limits and unique features can be worth a small fortune.
And, with recent UK 50p launches selling out at The Royal Mint in limited edition presentations, including the recently issued BBC 50p, this brand new coin is sure to be a hit with collectors.
So, don’t hesitate in adding the UK’s first Harry Potter 50p to your collection.
UK 50p inspired by Jim Kay’s illustrations of Harry Potter
A brand new collection of UK 50p coins is now available, celebrating 25 years since the first publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Since 1997, more than half a billion Harry Potter books have been sold. That means one in fifteen people in the world owns a Harry Potter book.
25 years on, the Harry Potter books continue to evolve. Most significantly, with newer illustrations by renowned artists, like Jim Kay.
Bringing magic to the page
Jim Kay is thought to have worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week on his reimagined illustrations of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World.
Jim Kay is the star of Bloomsbury’s latest editions and his illustrations can be seen in books 1-5.
From left to right: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire and The Order of the Phoenix.
Speaking to The British Library, Kay said the commission of all seven illustrated Harry Potter books is the “most frightening” an artist could get.
When creating his illustrations for these books, Kay describes wanting to “give people something to discover on each reading”.
His illustrations take inspiration from museums, libraries, National Trust properties, and everything in between.
Drawing the Boy Who Lived
Jim Kay admits that the hardest thing to visualise in the whole project is Harry himself.
Sticking to the origins of the famous character, his drawings of the Boy Who Lived show a young boy, with as he describes, “an unusual face”.
2022 UK Harry Potter 50p
Jim Kay says seeing his illustrations on large scale print still fills him with fear. But, we’re sure he is delighted to see his drawings brought to life on the UK 50p for the first time.
The brand new collection of 50p coins is made up of four coins, starting with Harry Potter..
The first coin in the series is now available to order, with the remaining coins also available to pre-order.
Click here to add the Harry Potter 50p to your collection >>