Posts Tagged ‘Gruffalo’
Brand New The Gruffalo and Mouse 50p released!
Have you heard the story about the mouse who took a walk in the deep dark wood and ended up on a Gruffalo® 50p coin?
The brand new Gruffalo 50p has officially been released today and this time the monstrous character has been joined by the wonderfully cunning Mouse from Julia Donaldson’s book.
This mouse might be small in stature, but the brand new 50p coin has beautifully captured the full details of the brave little character from the nation’s favourite bedtime story.
The reverse of the coin has been created by Magic Light Pictures, who also designed the first coin, released in February this year.
Change Checkers have been wondering what might feature on the new coin – from the fox to the owl and all the creatures that live in the deep dark wood.
But the wait is now over and I’m sure you’ll agree that the choice to feature the Mouse has resulted in a fantastic coin designed to illustrate the classic story of The Gruffalo.
Coin collectors across the UK have been eagerly awaiting the release of the second Gruffalo 50p following the announcement in August this year.
In recent years, 50ps themed around children’s literature have inspired a whole new generation of collectors, with new coin releases appealing to families, youngsters and fans of books, as well as traditional collectors.
The Gruffalo is no exception, and the release of the first coin at the start of the year sparked huge excitement across the UK.
So much so in fact, that the Silver Proof version of the coin SOLD OUT at The Royal Mint in just a few hours!
With over 13.5 million copies of The Gruffalo sold worldwide, the collectability of this coin is undeniable and I’m sure that collectors will be keen to get their claws on this one (warts and all!)
This coin won’t be entering circulation, but will be available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, which is the standard favoured amongst collectors, as well as coloured Silver Proof.
What do you think about the new Gruffalo and The Mouse 50p coin? And if you could design a new Gruffalo 50p, which characters would you choose to feature on the coin? Let us know in the comments below.
Own the brand new The Gruffalo and Mouse BU 50p!
You can now secure The Gruffalo and Mouse 50p in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality! So don’t miss out on your chance to add one to your collection.
Oh help! Oh no! It’s a Gruffalo 50p…
We’ve just heard that something very exciting is making its way out of the deep dark wood and we can’t wait to share the news with you Change Checkers!
Rumour has it that the Gruffalo will be returning for a second 50p coin and will be available to collectors from 17th October this year…
No further details have been released just yet and any designs remain top secret, but what would you like to see on the second Gruffalo 50p?
The first ever UK Gruffalo 50p was released earlier this year and the response from collectors was phenomenal!
In fact, this coin was perhaps one of the most sought-after 50ps of recent years.
The release of a second coin is bound to cause a stir, not only in the collecting world, but amongst families and fans of the Gruffalo book too.
Stay up to date with all the latest Gruffalo news…
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Start your Gruffalo 50p collection today with the first coin in the series
If you haven’t secured the first Gruffalo 50p yet, now’s the time to get your collection started!
Own the first UK 2019 Gruffalo® 50p coin in superior Brilliant Uncirculated Quality today for just £4.50 (+£2.99 p&p) here.
Celebrating World Book Day on Britain’s Best Loved Coins
World Book Day is recognised across the globe as an opportunity to celebrate great books and authors. But more excitingly for Change Checkers, it’s an opportunity to take a look at which of these great books and authors have been commemorated on UK coins!
In recent years, we’ve seen some classic British books and authors celebrated on UK coinage, from Jane Austen to Julia Donaldson’s much-loved Gruffalo. Take a look below to find out what these coins are and where their designs came from.
Beatrix Potter 50p Series
Beatrix Potter 50p series – Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit has sold some 150 million copies since its release in 1903. The much-loved children’s character was initially featured on a 50p coin in 2016.
First issued as a series of five coins featuring Peter Rabbit and his friends, the 50ps designs by Emma Noble, were taken straight from the illustrations of the original books. These 50p coins started an unprecedented collecting phenomenon and have been so hugely popular the series has been continued throughout 2017 and 2018 with the release of a further eight 50p coins.
To the delight of collectors, a stand-alone Peter Rabbit 50p was issued in collector’s quality for 2019. But the question on everyone’s lips is, will we see any more Beatrix Potter coins this year?
Shakespeare £2 Set
Shakespeare £2 set – In the 400 years since his death, William Shakespeare has become widely regarded as the greatest writer in British history and the world best dramatist. In 2016 The Royal Mint struck three official £2 coins in honour of the playwright – a first for the UK. Each coin celebrates an aspects of Shakespeare’s famous work, tragedies, comedies and histories, all designed by John Bergdahl.
Jane Austen £2
Jane Austen £2 – It might come as a surprise to some collectors that it was only after Austen’s death in 1817 that her works were sent out to print. In 2017 The Royal Mint issued a £2 coin to commemorate 200 years since her death; the reverse design, by Dominique Evans, features a portrait of Austen herself and was approved by leading Jane Austen Academic, Professor John Mullan.
Frankenstein £2
Frankenstein £2 – Mary Shelley’s novel ‘Frankenstein’ is widely regarded as the first science-fiction novel. To celebrate 200 years since publication, The Royal Mint issued the Frankenstein £2 coin in 2018. The design, by Royal Mint designer Thomas T. Docherty, portrays ECG monitor style wording of ‘Frankenstein’. The coin also features the edge lettering ‘A SPARK OF BEING’ which is a quote taken from the novel.
Paddington Bear 50ps
Paddington Bear 50ps – Struck to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the classic book, two Paddington Bear 50p coins were issued in 2018. The design on each coin is derived from the modern film adaptation of the book and shows the much-loved bear at Paddington Station and at Buckingham Palace. Collectors and Paddington fans alike have been thrilled with the detail on the coins, designed by David Knapton, from Paddington’s famous duffle coat to the label around his neck that reads ‘Please look after this Bear, thank you.’
Excitingly, a further two Paddington 50ps were released in 2019 – Paddington at the Tower and Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral. Will we be lucky enough to see this loveable bear’s London adventures continue in 2020?
The Snowman 50p
The Snowman 50p – To celebrate 40 years of Raymond Briggs’ classic tale, The Royal Mint issued this particularly special, festive commemorative Snowman 50p in November of 2018. Briggs’ characters are brought to life by designer Natasha Ratcliffe as the boy and the snowman soar through the night sky together. The design was approved by Robin Shaw, assistant director of The Snowman and The Snowdog animation, to ensure the detail was perfect.
But the Christmas cheer didn’t stop there, as in 2019 a second Snowman 50p was released, designed by Snowman Enterprises themselves to capture the Snowman and James in a wonderful snowy scene. Could their story continue with another Christmas 50p in 2020?
The Nutcracker £5
The Nutcracker £5 – The Nutcracker story is renowned, and just like coins, it has a long history with Christmas. This £5 coin was issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate Christmas 2018; the reverse design by Harry Brockway shows an enchanted Christmas Nutcracker scene. £5 coins are reserved for the most important Royal and Historical anniversaries, which shows the significance of this Nutcracker £5.
The Gruffalo 50p
The Gruffalo 50p – Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo was first published in 1999 and to celebrate 20 years of the world’s best-loved monster, The Royal Mint issued a commemorative 50p, featuring The Gruffalo. The reverse image was designed by Magic Light Pictures themselves and features The Gruffalo as seen in the modern film adaptation. The Gruffalo 50p has seen remarkable popularity since its release and is proving a firm favourite with collectors.
And so collectors were unsurprisingly overjoyed when they heard the news that a second Gruffalo 50p would be released in 2019. This coins features the Gruffalo and Mouse from Julia Donaldson’s bedtime classic and makes for the perfect pair with the original Gruffalo coin released earlier that year.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p – Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the man who revolutionised the crime genre with his creation of one Britain’s best-loved detectives, Sherlock Holmes™. To mark the 160th anniversary of Doyle’s birth, The Royal Mint issued a commemorative 50p coin paying homage to the author’s legendary works. The reverse has been designed by Stephen Raw and features a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes smoking a pipe, surrounded by a few of the most-famous Holmes story titles.
It’s hard to believe we’ve had all these coin releases celebrating British authors and stories in just the last few years.
What authors and books would you like to see on UK coins in future? Let us know below and comment on what your favourite author, story and coin is!
You can now secure some of Britain’s Best Loved Coins featuring your favourite authors and book characters in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.