Bearilliant news – Rupert Bear 50p coins released on the Isle of Man!

Change Checkers on the Isle of Man are in for a real treat as, for the first time ever, Rupert Bear & co are featuring on new 50p coins – and we think they’re just bearilliant!

Rupert Bear was created in 1920 by Mary Tourtel as a cartoon for the Daily Express newspaper and his adventures continue up to this day, celebrating his 100th anniversary in 2020.

I’m sure many collectors out there will have fond memories of growing up with Rupert Bear and will be just as excited as we are by the release of these new 50p coins.

The world’s first Rupert Bear 50p coin

To celebrate this exciting centenary anniversary, the Isle of Man have issued the first ever Rupert Bear 50p coin.

2020 Rupert Bear 50p available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Coloured Silver Proof and Gold Proof quality

The coin is available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality and stunning .925 Sterling Silver, finished to a proof standard and featuring a full colour illustration of the famous bear, exactly as he appears in the classic comic strip series.

But for those collectors looking to secure something extra special, an incredibly limited amount of just 250 coins struck from 22 Carat Gold to a Proof finish are also available.

2020 Rupert Bear 50p obverse design by Jody Clark

The obverse of each coin features a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen designed by engraver Jody Clark and you’ll notice that this looks different to the obverse of our UK change due to the inclusion of the Queen’s shoulders within the portrait.

Coin collectors and fans of the British bear alike will be delighted with this coin, but the fun doesn’t stop there as Rupert has also been joined by his friends on a special set of five 50p coins…

Complete Rupert Bear & co Collection

2020 Rupert Bear Complete 50p Set in Brilliant Uncirculated quality

Each of the reverse designs feature some of the best-loved characters from the comic strip – including Rupert Bear, Podgy Pig, Bill Badger, Edward Trunk and Algy Pug.

And the best news is that this set is available in both superior Brilliant Uncirculated and stunning Silver Proof quality featuring full colour illustrations of these fantastic characters.

2020 Rupert Bear Complete 50p Set in Silver Proof quality featuring full colour illustrations

These sets are the only way you can own all five coins in superior quality, and that’s because none of the designs (aside from the Rupert Bear 50p) will be available to purchase individually.

Isle of Man Change Checkers are in for a treat!

Excitingly for those lucky Change Checkers on the Isle of Man, these 50p coins are legal tender on the island and an initial release of 25,000 of each design will be issued into circulation!

However, as collectors know, British Isles 50p coins like this rarely turn up in your change in the UK, making these 50ps some of the most sought-after circulating coins around.

What’s more, previous Isle of Man 50p coins have proved popular with collectors time and again, often selling for well over face value on the secondary market.

Some of the most popular Isle of Man circulation coins feature The Snowman and can be found selling for hundreds of pounds of eBay.

2003 Isle of Man Snowman 50p eBay sold listings

We’re sure that British Isles collectors will be quick to snap up the new Rupert Bear 50p coins, so keep your eyes out for them if you’re lucky enough to be on the Isle of Man.

LIMITED EDITION

The 50p has firmly established itself as the collector’s favourite and Silver Proof 50ps are known for their rapid sell-out history, making them some of the most sought-after issues around.

Not only this, the Isle of Man is renowned for their low edition limits due to the small population of just 84,000 inhabitants on the island.

Therefore it comes as no surprise that these coins are so very limited…

Just 4,950 of the Rupert Bear Silver Proof 50p coins and just 2,495 of the Rupert Bear Silver Proof Complete 50p Sets are available to collectors worldwide – a significantly low amount given the immense popularity of Rupert Bear for multiple generations.

SELL-OUT EXPECTED

Comparing Rupert Bear to the incredible Royal Mint sell-out success of the UK Gruffalo Silver Proof 50p which had an edition limit of 25,000 (more than five times the edition limit of Rupert Bear), you’ll understand just how sought-after these coins are going to be.

Sold-out 2019 Gruffalo Silver 50p

And of course, who could forget the phenomenal Peter Pan 50p coins released by the Isle of Man last year?

These magical coins had the collecting world spellbound, with collectors queueing on the Westminster Collection’s site for the chance to purchase the new coins.

2019 Peter Pan Complete 50p Set in Silver Proof quality featuring full colour illustrations

And so the message for anyone interested in securing the brand new Rupert Bear 50ps is to act quickly, particularly when it comes to those Silver Proof coins, as a sell-out is expected.

We think these coins are a fantastic tribute to Rupert Bear’s 100th anniversary and are simply adorable! But what do you think about this new release? Let us know in the comments below!


Secure the world’s first Rupert Bear 50p!

Click here to add the Rupert Bear 50p coin to your British Isles collection from just £6.25 (+p&p).

Vote for your favourite Paddington 50p!

In 2018 two Paddington 50p coins were issued to mark the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s first appearance in Michael Bond’s classic childhood tale.

Since then, we’ve seen four UK 50p coins feature the loveable character and now that all of the mintage figures have been revealed, we want to know which Paddington 50p coin is your favourite!

*** 2019 Vote ***

After the issue of the two 2019 Paddington 50p coins, Change Checker asked you to vote for your favourite and the 2018 Paddington at the Station 50p took 38% of the vote!

A very close second at 32% was the 2019 Paddington at St Paul’s 50p!

You can find out all the details about each of the Paddington 50ps below and let us know which one is your favourite in the comments.

2018 Paddington at the Station

2018 Paddington at the Station 50p. Find out more about this coin here.

This is the first UK 50p coin ever to feature Paddington Bear!

In 2018, The Royal Mint released this brand new 50p coin to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington Bear featuring in Michael Bond’s much-loved book, ‘A Bear Called Paddington’.

The coin’s design by David Knapton is based on the modern adaptation from the CGI-live action movie, featuring Paddington on his suitcase in front of the station, wearing the famous tag around his neck, which reads ‘Please look after this bear. Thank you.’

It has a circulating mintage of 5,001,000.

2018 Paddington at the Palace

2018 Paddington at the Palace 50p. Find out more about this coin here.

Much to the delight of both coin collectors and Paddington fans, a second coin was issued as part of the 2018 Paddington 50p series.

This coin features Paddington Bear outside Buckingham palace, waving his Union Jack flag. It has a circulating mintage of 5,901,000.

The always polite Paddington Bear has long been a family favourite and this coin pays tribute to the bear from Darkest Peru.

2019 Paddington at the Tower

2019 Paddington at the Tower 50p. Find out more about this coin here.

Paddington’s London adventure continued into 2019 as two new UK Paddington 50p coins were issued that year.

This was the first coin in the 2019 series, which was released in August and it has a mintage of 9,001,000.

Paddington can be seen outside the Tower of London (former home of The Royal Mint). David Knapton’s design beautifully captures the day this very British bear brought marmalade sandwiches with him on a trip to the Tower – an iconic image I’m sure you’ll agree.

2019 Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral

2019 Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral

Whilst we know the design for this final coin in the 2019 Paddington series, we’ll have to wait a little while until the coin is released on the 12th September.

I’m sure collectors will be really keen to add this 2019 coin to their Paddington collection and continue his exploration around some of London’s most famous landmarks!

This coin shows the bear outside St Paul’s Cathedral and is inspired by Bond’s final book, “Paddington at St Paul’s” which was published last year to celebrate the 60th anniversary.

It has a circulating mintage of 9,001,000.

With four beautiful Paddington 50p coins to choose from, it’ll certainly be hard to pick a favourite, but we’re looking forward to seeing which design comes out on top when Change Checkers vote in our poll!


Secure The Paddington 50p Complete CERTIFIED BU Set!

This is your chance to get ahead of the crowd and own ALL FOUR Paddington 50p coins in Superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £40.00 (+p&p) – a saving of OVER £11.00 compared to buying each coin individually as all four coins are now off sale at The Royal Mint. 

The Paddington 50p Complete CERTIFIED BU Set – Own it today for JUST £40.00 (+p&p) >>