Can you spot the ‘major design error’ on The Gruffalo’s Child 50p?
I knew this 50p would hit the headlines, but I didn’t think it would be because of a major design ‘error’!
The brand new 50p released today celebrates the 20th anniversary of the best-selling children’s book – The Gruffalo’s Child. Following in the footsteps of the sell-out Gruffalo 50ps from 2019, the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child is already proving incredibly popular with collectors.
But you might already have noticed something unusual is afoot with the coin’s design…
How many toes?
The coin’s design brings to life a pivotal moment in the story when the Gruffalo’s Child comes face to face with the cunning mouse. The mouse can be seen to the left, sporting a sneaky smirk and the Gruffalo’s Child waits anxiously on the right, Stick Man in hand.
Whilst I’m sure you’ll agree this new 50p is simply adorable, what you might not have realised is that the design includes a major ‘error‘…
If you look closely, you’ll see the Gruffalo’s Child is depicted with three toes on each foot. Interestingly, eagle-eyed collectors out there have noticed that this could be a potential error on the coin. That’s because the original illustrations from the book show the Gruffalo’s Child with four toes (or rather claws!) on each foot, as does the 2011 BBC film adaptation.
Although the coin design features an image taken from an illustration in the book, it seems that the book version shows the Gruffalo’s Child’s toes hidden in the snow, whereas they can be seen above the snow on the coin. And this is where the ‘error’ can be spotted.
You’ll also notice that although the footprints in the snow aren’t clearly defined in the original illustration, on the coin they clearly show just three toes on each of the Gruffalo’s Child’s footprints.
Whilst this could be due to the viewing angle where two toes might be hidden by the snow, there’s no doubt that the footprints only have three toes on each!
Previous design ‘error’
This isn’t the first time there’s been a design ‘error’ like this on a UK coin, as the 2021 H. G. Wells £2 featured a four-legged tripod, making it arguably one of the most controversial and talked about coin designs in recent years. The unusual design hit the headlines when collectors noticed the additional leg featuring on the Martian from Wells’ famed War of the Worlds when the coin was issued in the 2021 Annual Coin Set.
Could this make The Gruffalo’s Child 50p even more sought-after?
This isn’t technically an ‘error coin’, but could show an issue with the design if indeed The Gruffalo’s Child is missing two toes!
Something like this generally makes coins even more collectible and sought-after amongst collectors. It certainly makes for interesting collecting and, with press articles already popping up about the ‘major error’, this 50p is certainly one to watch…
Don’t miss out on the chance to own yours!
Secure the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p for your collection >>
There’s a friend of mine that you ought to meet…The 2024 Gruffalo’s Child 50p
Who is this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws…the Gruffalo® of course!
The latest UK 50p celebrates Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s timeless tale, paying tribute to the Gruffalo’s bestselling sequel – The Gruffalo’s Child. Following in the footsteps of the hugely popular 2019 Gruffalo coins, the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p is sure to delight collectors and fans of the Gruffalo series.
An adorable design
On her quest to find the mysterious Big Bad Mouse, the Gruffalo’s Child comes across several cunning creatures who send her deeper and deeper into the snowy woods, until she eventually finds what she’s searching for. Finally, she meets a mouse, who says he can beckon the Big Bad Mouse, and the Gruffalo’s Child waits, terrified, for it to appear.
The reverse design of the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p brings this encounter to life, with the mouse sporting a sneaky smirk and the Gruffalo’s Child anxiously anticipating the arrival of the Big Bad Mouse, Stick Man in hand. If you look closely, you’ll even see footprints in the snow and intricate details on the trees in the background.
Is The Gruffalo the UK’s best-loved 50p?
The Gruffalo stories have captured the hearts of readers ever since the first book was published in 1999, and the short film adaptations have also become somewhat of a festive favourite. With such a large following, it’s no surprise that collectors were delighted to see The Gruffalo feature on a UK 50p for the first time in 2019 – celebrating its 20th anniversary. The first Gruffalo 50p quickly became one of the most sought-after 50ps of recent years.
Following the success of the first release, The Royal Mint treated collectors to a second Gruffalo 50p in October 2019 – this time featuring the Gruffalo and Mouse. Similarly to the first Gruffalo 50p, the Gruffalo and Mouse 50p was also incredibly popular with collectors.
Previous Gruffalo coins have been some of the most popular releases in UK 50p history, with silver coins selling out within mere hours! In fact, even the Brilliant Uncirculated coins have all been snapped up by collectors, meaning demand for this new release is already exceptionally high.
Secure your 2024 UK The Gruffalo’s Child 50p >>
Are you one of the lucky ones?
Are you one of the collectors who has a 2019 Gruffalo 50p tucked away in your collection? If so, consider yourself very lucky! It’s these collectors who’ll likely be the first to want to get their hands on the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p, so you’ll have to be quick to secure yours.
Given the overwhelming success of the previous Gruffalo 50ps and other literary themed coins such as the Beatrix Potter 50ps and more recently, the Harry Potter 50ps – the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p is set to be highly sought after.
Secure your 2024 UK The Gruffalo’s Child 50p
Secure your 2024 UK The Gruffalo’s Child 50p for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>
The importance of security features on UK coins
When it comes to the coins jingling in your pocket, the Royal Mint employs a number of sophisticated techniques to ensure each coin is secure and genuine.
But how much do you actually know about the security features that keep your coins safe?
Visible security features
Bi-metallic design
The distinctive bi-metallic design seen in coins like the twelve sided £1 coin and post 1997 £2 coins is not just an aesthetic choice, but an advanced security feature. The combination of two different metals – a nickel-brass outer ring and a cupronickel inner core – increases the complexity of the minting process, making fraud significantly more challenging.
Milled edges and edge lettering
First introduced by the Royal Mint in the 1660s, the complex process of adding milled (grooved) edges or edge lettering to UK coinage not only provides a high degree of visual security, but also makes the coins difficult to counterfeit accurately.
Lenticular features
Special lenticular imaging is another ingenious feature incorporated into some UK coinage. This involves an image that changes appearance when the coin is titled at different angles. The bi-metallic £1 coin, first issued in 2017, showcases this feature beautifully. When tilted, the pound sign (£) changes to the number one (1), creating a dynamic visual effect that is not only mesmerising but also serves as a powerful deterrent against counterfeiters.
Fine engraving, design decisions and micro-lettering
The introduction of new cutting techniques for steel tooling, combined with advancements in computer-aided modelling, has enabled coin designers to incorporate previously unattainable details. These details are as complex as those on a banknote but benefit from being three-dimensional.
Some bi-metallic coin designs extend across both the inner and outer sections of the coin, adding a layer of complexity that helps deter forgery.
Certain coins even include micro-lettering, an advanced design feature that’s hard to produce with consistent quality. For example, the lower inside rims of both the obverse and the reverse of the twelve sided £1 coin feature micro-lettering.
Shape
The introduction of the dodecagonal (twelve sided) £1, first issued in 2017, serves as another security feature. The distinctive shape of the coin makes it much more difficult to counterfeit compared to the previous round pound design.
Hidden Security Features
Secret messages (Electromagnetic signature)
Some new coins are fitted with a special plating that contains an electromagnetic signature (EMS). When passed through a small electromagnetic field, each coin creates ripples or other disturbances that can be detected and analysed. Different combinations of size and metal cause distinct patterns when the coins are passed through such a field. The distinct pattern of a particular coin is called its ‘electronic signature’.
‘Hidden’ unknown security feature
The Royal Mint announced that the twelve sided £1 coin includes a secret ‘High Security Feature’ which is even more advanced than an Electromagnetic Signature. Details of this feature are top secret, but it’s thought to involve material within the plating layer of the coin which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.
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