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The Royal Mint has finally unveiled what its new Winne the Pooh 50p coin will look like.
The coin is the first of a new series paying tribute to the beloved characters from the Winne the Pooh children’s books.
It has been designed in collaboration with Disney, and features original watercolour illustrations by E.H. Shepard.
The commemorative piece features Pooh at his happiest, enjoying a big jar of delicious honey.
Pooh’s coin will not be released into general circulation, but instead will be available to buy directly from the Royal Mint website, the Manchester Evening News reports.
The series will feature nine coins celebrating the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, with three released in 2020, featuring Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet, and six more over the following two years.
Daniel Thorne, product designer at The Royal Mint, said: “Working with original illustrations from E.H. Shepard, supplied to us by Disney, my biggest priority with the coin’s design was to ensure we do these wonderful images justice.
“From the honey bee motif that runs throughout the series, to the grassy mound Pooh is sitting on, we tried many different techniques to create the flawless effect of watercolour on the coin, eventually settling on the one you’ll see on the final version.”
The limited edition coin is available in a range of finishes, including base metal (also known as brilliant uncirculated), Silver and Gold.
Prices range from £10 for the ‘basic brilliant uncirculated’ version all the way up to £1,125 for the gold proof coins.
James Campbell at The Shepard Trust said, “It’s wonderful to see the beloved Winnie the Pooh immortalised on an official UK coin for the first time.
“The craftsmanship involved in replicating E.H. Shepard’s original watercolour illustrations is truly remarkable.”
Winnie the Pooh was first published in 1926 by A.A. Milne and was inspired by his son, Christopher Robin Milne, who was born 100 years ago this year.
The character was based on Christopher’s teddy bear, Edward. Father and son then named him ‘Winnie’ after a black bear called Winnie that lived in London Zoo and ‘Pooh’, after a swan they met on holiday.
