50p Coins
Say Cheese! The much anticipated Wallace and Gromit 50p
In 2019, the eccentric inventor and his trusted canine friend made their way back from the moon and onto a UK 50p to celebrate 30 years since their debut film, A Grand Day Out.
After weeks of anticipation, The Royal Mint finally released the first ever Wallace and Gromit 50p to celebrate 30 cracking years of the British Comedy duo.
Originally a small concept in Nick Park’s student sketchbook, Wallace and Gromit have become instantly recognisable stars of the silver screen!
The pair now feature in 4 stop-motion animation short films: A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave (1995), A matter of Loaf a Death (2008) and two full-length feature films, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and Vengeance Most Fowl (2024).
An original Nick Park design
Excitingly, the reverse of this 50p was designed by none other than Nick Park himself!
The original artist behind the popular animation characters, Nick’s artwork created a truly authentic design for the coin, featuring Wallace and Gromit peering out of the spaceship they took to the moon in A Grand Day Out.
What’s more, the initials ‘NP’ have been struck onto the design to confirm the design by Nick Park.
A Latin Twist
From their first appearance in 1989 to their dedicated following today, Wallace and Gromit have become international cultural icons and a real staple of British-ness!
However, the design on this coin embraces Latin to include the inscription ‘CASEUS PRAESTANS’, which translates to ‘cracking cheese’, a nod to Wallace’s iconic catchphrase.
Which Wallace and Gromit story is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
The 2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p
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?
Following on from the original 2019 Gruffalo 50p, the second coin to feature the monstrous character also includes the wonderfully cunning Mouse from Julia Donaldson’s book.
This mouse might be small in stature, but the Gruffalo and Mouse 50p coin beautifully captures the full details of the brave little character from the nation’s favourite bedtime story.
The reverse of the coin was created by Magic Light Pictures, who also designed the first coin, released in February 2019.
Since The Royal Mint announced a second Gruffalo coin, collectors were were 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 I’m sure you’ll agree that the choice to feature the Mouse resulted in a fantastic coin designed to illustrate the classic story of The Gruffalo.
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 2019 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!)
The journey of a 50p coin – from striking to your pocket
Have you ever considered how a 50p coin makes its way from The Royal Mint into your change?
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the 50p, it seems only fitting to take a look at the journey of the 50p coin – from striking to your pocket – and the many processes along the way, even before the coin leaves the factory.
Discover the 5 key steps in the journey below:
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s fascinating to think, each time you find a 50p coin in your change, that coin has been through all of these steps its journey to your pocket.
Which 50p coins do you have in your collection and have you been able to complete the Definitive 50p Collecting Challenge? Let us know in the comments below.
Have you joined the Definitive 50p Collecting Challenge?
The race is on to find and collect the definitive 50ps in your change in time for the 50th anniversary of the 50p!