The Llantrisant-based Royal Mint has unveiled a 50p Harry Potter coin. It is part of a new collection celebrating 25 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published in the UK.
The first design was unveiled live to collectors and Potter enthusiasts on Thursday evening. The “virtual unveiling” was held at the Royal Mint’s visitor attraction in south Wales.
The coin depicts the young wizard and will be available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website later this month.
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It is the first of four coins – modelled by product designer Ffion Gwillim at the Royal Mint – featuring the work of Jim Kay, the artist who created a fully-illustrated edition of the debut Harry Potter novel.
The other coins will feature the Hogwarts Express, Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published in the UK in 1997 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
The Mint will reveal the launch date for the new coin across its social channels in the coming weeks, but collectors and Harry Potter enthusiasts can register for updates on its website.
Ms Gwillim described the Harry Potter illustrations as “iconic and recognisable”.
The Mint’s craftspeople reproduced Kay’s illustrations in colour. Some coins in the range also feature an enchanting “latent feature”, which rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the number “25”, marking the anniversary year.
An advanced laser was used to imprint the intricate design on to coin-making tools to ensure accuracy.
Mr Kay 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."
Nicola Howell, chief commercial officer, said: "As the official maker of UK coins, we are delighted to make a spellbinding coin collection to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
"This evening, we had the wand-erful opportunity to unveil the first design in the collection exclusively to collectors and Harry Potter fans across the world. The first coin in the collection, celebrating Harry Potter, will be available for collectors and fans to buy at the end of this month."
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 on to this enchanting new medium."
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