A new collection of Royal Mint coins celebrate 25 years of Harry Potter and feature portraits of both the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
The coins mark a quarter of a century since JK Rowling’s debut, Harry Potter and the The Philosopher’s Stone, was published in the UK, back in 1997.
Demand for the collection – which range from 50p to £200 denominations – is expected to be high, the Royal Mint says. On Thursday morning, visitors to the Royal Mint’s website were directed to a queue ahead of the coin launch.
Read more:Balamory star named among top 10 in Shaw Trust’s disability power rankings
The first two coins in the collection will launch this year and feature the portrait of Elizabeth, and the final two coins, launching next year will feature the portrait of Charles.
The first coin in the series depicts Harry Potter himself and will be available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website.
Prices range from £11 for a brilliant uncirculated 50p to £5,215 for a £200 denomination gold Harry Potter coin. A colour version of the Harry Potter 50p is available for £20.
Other coins in the collection will feature the Hogwarts Express, Professor Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Nicola Howell, chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint said: “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.”
Ffion Gwillim, the Royal Mint designer who modelled the artwork onto coins, said: “The Harry Potter illustrations are so iconic and recognisable.”
