• The latest coin in the Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and Friends collection launches today celebrating Kanga and Roo on an official 50 pence
• The designs are inspired by the original watercolour illustrations of E. H. Shepard, brought to life on UK coin using traditional craftsmanship and innovative colour printing technology

• The release is part of a nine-coin collection available in base and precious metals, and special colour edition

The Royal Mint, inspired by Disney, has launched the latest coin in the much-loved Winnie the Pooh and Friends coin collection, featuring Kanga and Roo on an official UK 50p coin.

Two of Winnie the Pooh’s closest friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, the mother and son duo feature on a 50p to mark the penultimate release in the treasured nine-coin collection.

Also featuring Winnie the Pooh, Owl, Tigger, Christopher Robin, Piglet and Eeyore, the 50p series is inspired by the original illustrations of E. H. Shepard from A. A. Milne’s stories published in 1926.

The Royal Mint designer Daniel Thorne combines craftsmanship and innovation to bring the timeless characters to life in miniature on gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated coins.

With state-of-the-art colour printing technology, the classic watercolour effect of the original text is recreated with special-edition colour versions of the silver and BU coins.

Adding an original twist, Thorne’s signature bee motif continues to feature alongside the classic design across the entire Winnie the Pooh and Friends range.

The latest Kanga and Roo design is available individually and as part of the Winnie the Pooh and Friends collection from today at The Royal Mint website. The childhood character range continues to attract new and existing collectors – A 2021 study, conducted by One Poll for The Royal Mint, found that 74% of 18- to 24-year-old and 51% of 35–45-year-old collectors were inspired to start a collection with childhood character coins. 

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint, said:

“The Winnie the Pooh and Friends 50p collection, inspired by Disney, is a popular choice for collectors, with the loveable bear and his woodland friends evoking such wonderful memories for people of all ages. In the penultimate release of the much-loved nine-coin collection, we celebrate the nurturing Kanga and playful Roo on a range of base and precious metals and special colour-edition 50p coins.

“The design is inspired by the original illustrations of E.H Shepard where the Winnie the Pooh stories first began and brought to life in miniature using craftsmanship and innovation at The Royal Mint. The mother and son duo are sure to be an exciting addition to gang as we continue to celebrate the Hundred Acre Wood characters for collectors and Winnie the Pooh fans.” 

Speaking of the design, The Royal Mint’s designer Dan 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.” 

Notes to editors.

In May 2021, a survey of 2000 UK adults conducted by One Poll for The Royal Mint found:

• 51% of 35- to 44-year-olds state childhood character coins as the main reason for collecting
• 74% of 18- to 24-year-olds consider character coins as one of the reasons for collecting

About The Royal Mint

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is Britain’s oldest companies and the original maker of UK coins.  Today The Royal Mint is a premium British maker, providing carefully crafted coins and precious metal products for the UK and overseas.  Based in Llantrisant, South Wales it has three main focuses as a business: Currency, Consumer (collectable and rare, historic coins) and precious metals investment.

Collecting with The Royal Mint:

Every coin tells a story, from a rare gold Sovereign to a Peter Rabbit™ 50p coin. The Royal Mint aims to inspire collectors young and old, and nurture a love of collecting through unique designs and popular themes. As the maker of UK coinage, we have unparalleled knowledge about coins, from the historic coins of our past, through to the collectable commemorative coins of today.  Sourcing and authenticating pre decimal coins is a natural fit for The Royal Mint as we struck each one.

Investing with The Royal Mint:

As a world authority on precious metals, The Royal Mint has traded and made products in gold and silver for centuries. Since launching its designated precious metals investment arm six years ago, The Royal Mint has grown rapidly to become the home of gold in the UK – increasing its market share and becoming the largest producer of bullion coins in Britain. As well as offering physical precious metal investment options in the form of bars and coins, The Royal Mint also offers a range of digital investment options including DigiGold, Little Treasures, designed for children, and Gold for Pensions

Celebrating with The Royal Mint:

For over a thousand years The Royal Mint has marked the moments that changed the world on coins - from coronations to conflict, from commemorations to celebrations. The designs are captured on commemorative coins, minted in a range of metals.  Commemorative coins do not always enter circulation but give collectors the chance to purchase coins to keep and cherish.  Recent themes have included David Bowie, Winnie the Pooh, Decimalisation and Team GB. Each commemorative coin is carefully struck up to three times in order to create a superbly detailed finish, and ensuring each one meets the standards The Royal Mint is famous for. 

The Royal Mint Experience

The Royal Mint opened its popular visitor centre, The Royal Mint Experience, at its home in Llantrisant, South Wales in 2016. The award-winning attraction welcomes around 200,000 visitors a year and is the place to explore the 1,100-year history of coins.

Images

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