HARRY Potter fans can add to their collection with a new set of coins featuring a beloved character.
A coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore has been launched as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection from the Royal Mint.
Royal MintA coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore has been launched as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection from the Royal Mint[/caption]
The new 50p has been unveiled as part of a new collection celebrating 25 years since the hit book Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was published.
The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997 and sold 120million copies.
The coin will feature the image of the Hogwarts headmaster with his hand in a bag of sherbet lemon sweets.
It has the King’s portrait on the “heads” side, while two other coins in the collection feature the late Queen.
A change of portrait during the series is a rare occasion, making these set of coins highly collectable, the Mint said.
The coins are available to buy from the Mint’s website as a 50p denomination version as well as in other denominations.
Prices for the Professor Albus Dumbledore coin range from £11 for a brilliant uncirculated 50p and £20 for a colour version to £5,215 for a £200 denomination gold coin.
Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our spellbinding Harry Potter coin collection with Professor Albus Dumbledore featuring on his very own 50p.
“The Royal Mint’s Harry Potter coin collection has seen a popular response among collectors worldwide, not only for the books being a global phenomenon, but due to the collection being one of a small number that will see a change of portrait during the series.
“The 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore marks this change of portrait, with His Majesty King Charles III’s official coin portrait now appearing for the first time in the series.”
Other coins in the collection feature Harry Potter himself, the Hogwarts Express, and the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Some of the coins are in colour and some have a “latent feature”, which rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the number “25” to mark the anniversary year.
These are uncirculated commemorative coins, so you’ll have to buy them from the Royal Mint if you want to add one to your collection.
There are several different types of coins you can buy from the Royal Mint.
Circulated coins are the ones you’ll see in your shop change.
Brilliant uncirculated coins are a higher standard than circulating and bullion coins.
The machines used to strike these coins are polished and finished by hand.
Proof coins are the highest quality coins produced by the Royal Mint and are all hand-finished.
Bullion coins are made from gold and silver and are usually used as an investment that aims to retain a certain value over time.
It’s not the first time the Royal Mint has released coins featuring beloved children’s characters.
In August, a coin showing Kanga and Roo from Winnie the Pooh was released.
It joined the Eeyore 50p which launched earlier this year and is part of a collection for the honey-loving bear.
Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit has also been commemorated on a £5 coin.
And it’s not just characters who appear on coins either, with David Bowie and Alan Turing among the famous faces to appear on the currency.
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