Welsh artist designs Royal Mint’s new Harry Potter 25th anniversary coins

A Welsh artist has designed a new range of Harry Potter coins for the Royal Mint.

The 50p Harry Potter coin has been unveiled as part of a new collection celebrating 25 years since Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was published in the UK.

The 24-year-old designer, Ffion Gwillim, originally from Abercynon, designed the coin that depicts the young wizard and will be available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website later this month.

It is the first of four coins which also feature the work of Jim Kay, the artist who created a fully illustrated edition of the debut Harry Potter novel.

The other coins will feature the Hogwarts Express, Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone was first published in the UK in 1997 by Bloomsbury Publishing.

The Mint will reveal the launch date for the new coin across its social channels in the coming weeks, but collectors and Harry Potter enthusiasts can register for updates on its website.

The Mint’s craftspeople reproduced Kay’s illustrations in colour.

Some coins in the range also feature an enchanting “latent feature”, which rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the number “25”, marking the anniversary year.

An advanced laser was used to imprint the intricate design on to coin-making tools to ensure accuracy.

The design was due to be unveiled live to collectors and Potter enthusiasts on Thursday evening at a “virtual unveiling”.

But the Royal Mint posted a message on Twitter on Thursday to say: “We have taken the decision to postpone tonight’s event. Our thoughts are with Her Majesty and her family.”