16 February 2023 , 11:02
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The Royal Mint has launched its first collectable 50p coin of the year in celebration of much-loved wizard Harry Potter.
The new 50p coin features Professor Albus Dumbledore who was one of the key characters in the J.K Rowling books and films.
The coin is not the first Harry Potter-themed collectable by the Royal Mint - it is part of the 2022 coin collection which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
The collectable is the first 50p in The Royal Mint’s collection to have King Charles III’s portrait appear on the coin.
There are three other 50p coins in the Harry Potter collection which feature the wizard himself Harry Potter, the Hogwarts Express and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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The coins all feature illustrations from the book's original illustrator Jim Kay (The Royal Mint)What is particularly unique about this set of coins is that they will feature portraits of two reigning monarchs which the royal Mint says is very rare and makes this set "highly collectable".
The Harry Potter and Hogwarts Express coins feature the portrait of Her Late Majesty, and the final two coins will feature the official portrait of King Charles III.
The illustrations which feature in the collection are by illustrator and printmaker Jim Kay, who was personally chosen by J.K Rowling to work on each novel, and are from the first book in the seven-part series.
Many of the coins in the range also feature a "latent feature" which rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the number 25 to mark the anniversary year.
Rebecca Morgan, director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said, “We are delighted to be continuing our spellbinding Harry Potter coin collection with Professor Albus Dumbledore featuring on his very own 50p.
“The Royal Mint’s Harry Potter coin collection has seen a popular response among collectors worldwide, not only for the books being a global phenomenon but due to the collection being one of a small number that will see a change of portrait during the series.
The collection was created in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing, which was the publisher of the first book in the series, the Blair Partnership and Warner Bros, Consumer Products.
Coins from the collection have been purchased in 86 countries across the globe and around a third have been bought by younger families and millennials says the Royal Mint.
You can purchase an individual coin or the entire collection through the official Royal Mint website.
Prices start at £11 for a Brilliant Uncirculated Coin, going up to £5,215 for a 2oz Gold Proof Coin.
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As these coins are uncirculated, you're unlikely to find one in your spare change.
Commemorative and decorative coins are not designed for general circulation, so banks and shops are unlikely to accept them.