Posts Tagged ‘coin 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 >>
The 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece – Gifting a Masterpiece
Each year, we work in partnership with the Royal British Legion to create bespoke coins and commemoratives, including a Poppy Masterpiece coin.
This year’s official Royal British Legion Poppy Masterpiece coin has just been released. And this 2022 issue is especially important as it marks the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. The 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece features 39 stylised poppies surrounding one central, hand-painted, red poppy.
Every 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece coin is individually hand-painted by our in-house artist Adam Taylor. He used traditional model painting techniques, which means each one has unique brush strokes and subtle differences in colour.
Gifting a Masterpiece
We met with Falklands Veteran Chris Caroe to learn about his experience during the conflict and his subsequent support of the Royal British Legion.
To thank Chris for his service and for sharing his story with us, we gifted him one of the 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpieces. You can watch his reaction below.
If you’re interested…
We’re now taking commissions for this year’s Masterpiece (just like the one we gifted to Chris Caroe!) so you have a limited opportunity to own one for yourself. Click here to find out more about this impressive release and reserve yours >>
The SELL OUT story continues… Limited edition 50p coins launching 9th May
We all know about how the Platinum Jubilee has created a collecting hype like nothing I’ve seen for many years.
It’s been a case of blink and you’ll miss it. Just take a look at how quickly Platinum Jubilee coins have been selling out…
2022 British Isles 50p — First Release SOLD OUT
The Official British Isles 50p tribute to the Platinum Jubilee was first released as a Dual-Plated edition. With first-release stock selling out in less than two hours, collectors are now frantially ordering the Gold-Plated edition of this stunning 50p.
2022 UK 50p — SOLD OUT in less than 24 hours
In January, the UK Platinum Jubilee 50p was released. The FIRST EVER Royal 50p and and featuring a brand-new obverse design — a sell-out was inevitable. Indeed, ALL limited specifications SOLD OUT in 24 hours, including the Silver Proof 50p.
2022 UK £5 — All limited specifications SOLD OUT
In January, the traditional commemorative £5 coin was released. Since then, every limited specification has completely SOLD OUT…
And now, as we approach the Bank Holiday and look forward to the street parties, a BRAND NEW release is coming.
My expectation? That this release is going to break Platinum Jubilee sell out records.
That’s because these coins have some of the lowest edition limits I’ve seen for the Platinum Jubilee. Which means collectors looking to complete their Platinum Jubilee collection are inevitably going to miss out.
Released on the 9th May you’ll need to be up and ready at 8am to have any chance of securing one before they’ve sold out!
