Harry Potter coins released for 25th anniversary of The Philosopher’s Stone

Virgin Radio

20 Oct 2022, 09:00

A new 50p coin celebrating 25 years since the release of the first Harry Potter book has hit shelves - and will have a special double royal tribute. 

The Royal Mint announced the face of The Boy Who Lived will grace one side of the coin, while the other side will feature either the late Queen Elizabeth II or the new monarch, King Charles III.

The new coin will celebrate 25 years since the release of the very first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The JK Rowling novel was first published in 1997, and quickly became one of the most beloved children’s novel series in British publishing history.

The Royal Mint confirmed the pricing for the coins will range from £11 for the uncirculated 50p, while the gold £200 denomination gold Harry Potter coin fetches up to £5,215.

The colour version of the coin, which features Harry, set with recognisable messy black hair and round spectacles, for £50.

The first coins, which will feature Queen Elizabeth II, are on sale from today (Thursday 20th October) while the King Charles coins will be released in 2023. 

The Harry Potter collection of coins will also feature prominent Hogwarts figures, including Professor Dumbledore and the Hogwarts Express. 

Nicola Howell, chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint, said in a statement: “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. 

“The first coin in the collection, celebrating Harry Potter, will be available for collectors and fans to buy from today.”

The designer behind the artwork, Ffion Gwillim, added: ““The Harry Potter illustrations are so iconic and recognisable, we wanted to faithfully recreate them on a UK coin for the first time."

After its release, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone landed at the top of the New York Times best-seller list in fiction in 1999, and stayed there for much of the year. 

It has been translated in 73 languages, and has sold more than 120 million copies in its 25 years, making it the third best-selling novel of all time. 

Rowling went on to write six more novels, all of which made it onto the big screen in the widely popular Harry Potter franchise, making household names of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.