FANS of Harry Potter can now add three magical 50ps to their coin collection.
The coins have been released over the past few months as part of a new collection celebrating 25 years since the hit book Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was published.
3
3
3
The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997 and sold 120million copies.
So far three coins have been released since October last year each featuring characters and aspects from the book.
The first coin features the image of the famous orphan sporting his round glasses, floppy hair and lightning scar.
The second was released in December and feature the image of The Hogwarts Express and the boy wizard walking alongside the train with his suitcase and owl Hedwig.
Both of these coins feature the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Hogwarts 50p was the last in the series to feature the monarch.
The latest instalment to the collection was launched in February 2023 and is the first with a portrait of King Charles III.
It features the image of the Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore with his hand in a bag of sherbet lemon sweets.
A change of portrait during the series is a rare occasion, making these set of coins highly collectable, the Royal Mint said.
We are yet to see the launch of the fourth and final 50p coin in the series.
It will depict the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Some of the coins are in colour and some have a “latent feature”, which rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the number “25” to mark the anniversary year.
All four 50ps from the Royal Mint feature the work of Jim Kay, the artist who illustrated the first book.
These are uncirculated commemorative coins, so you’ll have to buy them from the Royal Mint if you want to add one to your collection.
How much are the coins worth?
Each of the Harry Potter coins that have been released are uncirculated and still fairly new, so it’s not yet clear how much they could go up in value.
Prices for the coins range from £11 for a brilliant uncirculated 50p and £20 for a colour version.
Avid collectors can also get the 50ps in collectable cases for £69.50.
In the past commemorative coins have gone up in value after being released.
One coin collector made a profit on a 50p featuring famous cheese-loving duo Wallace and Gromit after it was released in 2019.
We found one that caught the eye of three bidders and sold for £15, meaning the seller would have made a £5 profit after purchasing the original coin for a tenner.
But note that bidders can pullout of sales, meaning an item hasn’t sold the the amount it says it has.
Generally speaking, a coin is only worth what someone is willing to bid for it – so it can change from one day to the next.
Keep a lookout for fakes on eBay, and check out similar listings online to give you an idea of how much others are willing to bid for the item.
Meanwhile we reveal the rarest 50p coins in circulation, and some can fetch up to £721.
A rare Kew Garden coin sold for £161 on eBay – we explain how to spot one in your change.
Fans of Winnie the Pooh may be interested in this Piglet 50p – here’s what it’s worth.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk
