COIN mad collectors can now get their hands on a new Gruffalo 50p coin that features the beast’s meeting with the mouse in the woods.
The first commemorative Gruffalo 50p coin featuring only the popular children’s book character launched this February.
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Last month, the Royal Mint was then said to prepare a second coin featuring the beast or the mouse but it refused to confirm the news.
But today the second coin has gone on sale on the coin maker’s website, although it won’t go into general circulation so you won’t find it cropping up in your spare change anytime soon.
A brilliant uncirculated version of the new coin can be snapped up for £10, while a silver version is available for £65 and a gold Gruffalo coin is priced at £980.
There is also once again a limited run of 25,000 of a coloured-in version, which show the monster’s iconic orange eyes and thick brown fur looking down on the mouse.
What are the most valuable 50p coins?
HAVE a rummage through the change in your pocket for rare 50p coins because they could be worth a small fortune.
Kew Gardens, up to £160
This rare commemorative coin was created in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of London’s Kew Gardens. Only 210,000 of these coins were issued and a quick check online shows up that a circulated coin with this design sold for £160 on eBay after it got 25 bids.
Sir Isaac Newton, up to £77
At first, just 375 of the Sir Isaac Newton coins were released into the tills at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire, the birthplace and home of the famous scientist, but more of the coins were slowly released into circulation – adding up to a total of 1.8million. The majority of these coins are still boxed in protective packaging and they’re selling for around £76.99 online.
Jemima Puddle Duck, up to £13.50
There are only 2.1million of these coins in circulation and one of the coins recently sold for 27 times its value at £13.50 on eBay.
Suffragettes, up to £7.50
There are currently 3.1million of the coins in circulation. Recently, one coin that had been in circulation fetched £7.50 on eBay – that’s 15 times its face value.
WWF, up to £4.50
There are 3.4million coins in circulation and they are hugely popular amongst collectors. We found one that was recently sold for £4.50.
Britannia, up to £1.81
Britannia was replaced by the new Royal Shield in 2008 as the standard 50p design, and none have been issued since, making the ones minted in that year valuable to collectors. Only 3.5million were issued into circulation and one recently sold on eBay for £1.81.
The coins have been released to celebrate the 20th anniversary since The Gruffalo was first published.
Since then, author Julia Donaldson has released 13 books about the creature, sold 14.5million copies worldwide and the tale has been turned into a TV short.
Rachel Hooper of coin expert Change Checker told The Sun the first coin was “incredibly popular” with collectors, and it is thought the new Gruffalo coin could prove just as popular.
Although, she couldn’t estimate how much the new coins could be worth.
But The Sun recently found brilliant uncirculated versions of the previous coin selling for more than double their price on eBay, with one in a presentation box going for £21, while another in a presentation pack went for £17.50.
You should consider these figures more as a guide to what you can expect to get though as it’s not guaranteed.
Colin Bellamy of Coin Hunter added that the coins that don’t go into general circulation generate less interest among collectors.
The Gruffalo isn’t the only children’s book character to entertain coin collectors though, as two new Paddington Bear coins went into circulation this year.
They joined two others already featuring the bear from darkest Peru that launched last year.
A similar commemorative coin celebrating popular children’s book The Snowman was also released before Christmas for a tenner but it’s now selling for up to £16 on eBay.
