The Royal Mint is celebrating the launch of this year’s 50p coins featuring The Snowman by adding a golden surprise! One lucky person could strike gold on Christmas Eve by opening the door 24 of a special advent calendar.
The Royal Mint has released 3,000 limited-edition The Snowman advent calendars, priced at £30 each. However, only one of these calendars will contain a rare solid gold coin. The other calendars feature a colorful version of the 50p coin and chocolate coins behind the rest of the doors.
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For those who want the gold coin but aren’t lucky enough to find it in the calendar, it’s also available to buy on the Royal Mint’s website for £1,355. But act fast—only 100 of these gold coins are being produced.
If the gold version is out of reach, you can still get other metal and color options starting at a much more affordable £12.
This year marks the seventh release of the The Snowman 50p coins. The 2024 edition features a new design by Robin Shaw, who was the art director for The Snowman and The Snowdog, a sequel to the original TV adaptation of the classic book. This year’s coin shows The Snowman decorating a Christmas tree, bringing the magic of the holiday season to life.
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Since the first release of The Snowman 50p coins, almost 700,000 coins have found their way into collections in 75 countries around the world. According to Rebecca Morgan, the Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin, “The Snowman 50p coin has become a Christmas tradition, and we’re excited to continue this beloved story on UK coins.”
Robin Shaw, the designer of this year’s coin, added: “It’s an honor to have my design featured on a 50p coin again. This design captures the wonder of Christmas and continues The Snowman’s legacy.”
The Snowman, originally a wordless picture book by Raymond Briggs, has sold 5.5 million copies worldwide and inspired an animated film that first aired on December 26, 1982. Thomas Merrington, Creative Director of Penguin Ventures, said: “Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman is a story that brings joy to families every Christmas, and we’re thrilled to see this partnership with the Royal Mint grow with the release of the seventh coin.”