The Royal Mint, inspired by Disney, has unveiled the next coin in its Winnie the Pooh and Friends collection.

The latest collectable 50-penny coin features a group shot of the lovable characters, celebrating 95 years since the beloved bear first began his adventures. The commemorative design features Winnie the Pooh and his trusted friends Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga and Roo.

The coins are not intended for circulation and are issued only at a premium above face value, for sale to collectors.   

Last year, the Royal Mint released the first three designs, featuring Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet.

The design of the 2021 coin is inspired by the original decorations by E.H. Shepard for the pages of A.A. Milne’s classic tales first published in 1926.

The coins are available in gold, silver, and copper-nickel versions. Special colorful versions are also available.

The nine-coin, multi-year Winnie the Pooh series will also see in 2021 the “wise” Owl and the “wonderful” Tigger characters each on official UK coins.

Designer inspiration, information

Throughout the Winnie the Pooh series, the Royal Mint’s product designer Daniel Thorne stayed true to the iconic Shepard artwork, while also adding his own special twist, a bee motif, which features in each design in the series.

Clare Maclennan, the Royal Mint’s Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin, said: “Winnie-the-Pooh is a treasured children’s classic, which, much like the popular hobby of coin collecting, has been passed down through generations. As we celebrate 95 years of Winnie the Pooh, the latest design featuring Pooh and friends is a fitting tribute to the much-loved adventures.”

She added: “Fans of Winnie the Pooh can enjoy the coins individually, or as part of the nine-coin collection released over three years. We are buzzing with excitement to bring these wonderful characters and memories to life on a collectable 50p coin series.”

Thorne said, “Using inspiration from the original decorations of E.H. Shepard has been a fantastic experience but one that has also tested me as a designer. With each design, so much care and attention has been given to remastering the iconic decorations for the canvas of a coin while staying true to the texts people know and love. I also wanted to add something extra special for collectors, with the bee motif. Inspired by the original decorations, the buzzy bee from the storybooks features on each of the nine coins in the collection. I hope collectors can appreciate the beauty in each design in the range and enjoy the special colour editions.”

Specifications

All of the coins feature the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.

Both plain and colorful Brilliant Uncirculated copper-nickel versions are available, along with a Proof .925 fine silver option, and a Proof .9167 fine red gold version.

All of the coins measure 27.3 millimeters in diameter. The base metal and silver versions all weigh 8 grams, and the gold coin is 15.5 grams.

The plain copper-nickel coin has an unlimited mintage and retails for £10.

The colorful copper-nickel coin has a mintage limit of 45,000 pieces and retails for £20.

The silver coin is limited to a mintage of 19,095 pieces and retails for £67.50.

The gold coin, limited to 630 pieces, costs £1,065.

To order, or learn more, visit the Royal Mint website, www.royalmint.com.

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