Posts Tagged ‘uk 50p coin’
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 >>
UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p – coming soon…
It’s time to inject some magic into your collection, this is your first look at the design of the UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p…
25 Years of Magic
2023 marks 25 years since the first publication of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
This was the first issue in what was to become a seven-part series of fantasy literature, inviting generations of readers to explore the magical world of witches and wizards.
The Harry Potter series is the highest-selling series of novels to ever exist, with millions of fans spanning across generations, and even around the globe. It’s estimated that J. K. Rowling has sold over 500 million copies of her books, a testament to the popularity of the series.
Never before has there been an official UK coin featuring the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, until now!
What will feature in the collection?
As well as the Harry Potter 50p coin, the Royal Proclamation has revealed that we can expect the following to feature in the collection:
- A depiction of the Hogwarts Express and the figure of Harry Potter with the inscription, ‘Hogwarts Express 25 Years of Magic’
- A depiction of Albus Dumbledore and the inscription, ‘Albus Dumbledore 25 Years of Magic’
- A depiction of Hogwarts School and the inscription, ‘Hogwarts 25 Years of Magic’
Sell-outs expected
2022 has already seen sell-outs across every denomination at The Royal Mint!
The Platinum Jubilee 50p and £5 coins sold out across their entire precious metal ranges within JUST hours of release. Just a month later, the Silver Proof, Silver Proof Piedfort, and Gold Proof specifications of the FA Cup £2 coin sold out within just a few hours.
With Harry Potter carrying a worldwide fanbase, we’re expecting demand to outweigh availability for the precious metal ranges of this brand new 50p collection.
Register your interest below to be the first to hear updates about the UK Harry Potter 50p release.
JUST ANNOUNCED: The UK’s first Pride 50p!
A brand new 50p is being released by The Royal Mint to mark the 50th anniversary of Pride!
Back in December 2021, The Royal Proclamation announced plans for a Pride 50p, and today the first details of this coin’s release have been revealed — including the design!
The Design
Designed by LGBTQ+ activist Dominique Holmes, this new 50p design features five rainbows — each accompanied with part of the inscription, “PRIDE PROTEST VISIBILITY UNITY EQUALITY”. It’s scheduled for release this summer, coinciding with Pride celebrations across the country.
A Collecting First
Collecting firsts are without a doubt some of the most popular coins released. They become much harder to source in the coming years, often seeing sell-outs across whole ranges! And, as the FIRST ever 50p released in honour of Pride, this coin is likely to be incredibly popular with collectors.
The coin will be available in multiple specifications, including the standard Brilliant Uncirculated and the stunning colour Silver Proof, adding apt depth and vibrancy to the design. For the ultimate collector’s item, it’s also available in Gold Proof too.
High Demand Expected
As well as being the very first UK coin to commemorate Pride, this coin also marks the 50th anniversary of the first UK Pride march, held in London, 1972. Pride in London 2022 will pay tribute to this by retracing the historic 1972 route around London.
Pride in London now attracts a huge crowd, with 1.5 million walking in the 2019 procession, with hundreds of thousands more attending other Pride events across the UK.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, this year’s Pride events are expected to be more popular than ever — and with so much interest in this year’s events, this UK-first 50p coin is expected to be in high demand.
If you want to ensure you don’t miss out on owning the very first UK Pride 50p, make sure you sign up below for updates on this coin’s release.