Great Britain
British Mint issues Harry Potter coins
This 50p British colored coin from the Harry Potter collection features the Hogwarts Express – and on the obverse a portrait of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II photograph
© The Royal Mint/PA Media/dpa
25 years after the publication of the first Harry Potter volume, the world-famous book series is now receiving a very special honour.
Harry Potter fans and coin collectors alike can be happy: the British Mint is issuing a series of coins with motifs from the popular children’s and young people’s books. A first of a total of four collector coins was presented on Monday. The 50p coin features the Hogwarts Express steam train on one side and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the other side. The occasion is the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first Harry Potter book .
The monarch, who died in September, appears on two of the four coins in the series. On the other two, the portrait of their son and successor, King Charles III. (74) are shown. It is rare for the portrait to change within a series, so demand for the coins is expected to be high, Royal Mint boss Rebecca Morgan said, according to the British PA news agency. According to the report, other coins will also show motifs with the wizard Harry Potter, the magic school Hogwarts and its head Professor Dumbledore.
The coins will be available in different designs, some colored, some made of gold at a price between 11 pounds (equivalent to around 12.50 euros) and 5215 pounds (around 6090 euros).