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• The Royal Mint has today unveiled a collectable 50p coin to celebrate the globally beloved, classic work of children’s literature, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
• The original illustration of Mr Tumnus and Lucy walking through the snowy woods created by Pauline Baynes has been faithfully reproduced on an official UK 50p.
• The collectable 50p honouring The Chronicles of Narnia forms part of The Royal Mint’s popular Classic Children’s Literature coin series.

28^th September:

The Royal Mint has today unveiled the next collectable 50p in its popular Classic Children’s Literature coin series, celebrating the beloved story of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis published by HarperCollins.

The official UK 50p celebrating The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe honours C.S. Lewis’ magical tale of a realm called Narnia, which is reached through a wardrobe.

The Royal Mint’s Classic Children’s Literature coin series has seen several authors and stories appear on their very own official UK coin, from celebrating the life and work of A. A. Milne, to Beatrix Potter’s loveable tales and characters, which appear on their own collectable coin for people to treasure.

The Royal Mint’s talented craftspeople have faithfully reproduced in fine detail the original illustration by Pauline Baynes, of Mr Tumnus and Lucy walking through the snowy woods in Narnia, to appear on a 50p, which measures no more than 27.30mm in diameter. The process requires Royal Mint coin designers to digitally translate Pauline Baynes’ illustrations onto a coin, ensuring that no detail is lost during the process of the collectable 50p being struck.

A selection of coins in the range also feature colour, bringing both characters to life as part of the coin’s design. By combining traditional British craftsmanship, innovative minting technology as well as colour printing techniques, The Royal Mint has captured Pauline Baynes’ illustration in exceptional detail and colour, capturing the true essence of the globally read tale and both characters.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a story that has captured the imagination of readers in the UK and worldwide, with C.S. Lewis enchanting people with a magical realm called Narnia through his writing. The Royal Mint’s popular collectable coin series celebrating Classic Children’s Literature has seen many stories and authors celebrated on their own coin such as Beatrix Potter and Raymond Briggs. Today we are beyond thrilled to be unveiling an official collectable UK 50p coin celebrating the globally adored story of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis to our popular series.

In keeping with C.S. Lewis’ novel, the coin design features the original illustration that appears in the book, making it the perfect keepsake for any fan of this story.”

First published in 1950, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has enthralled many generations of readers for more than 70 years. Written first but the second book in C. S. Lewis’ classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, tells the story of the Pevensie siblings as they step through a wardrobe and enter the magical realm of Narnia.

The collectable 50p coin celebrating The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is available to purchase from The Royal Mint’s website, with colour editions of the coin also available: https://www.royalmint.com/shop/limited-editions/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe/

ENDS