Special edition 50p features The Snowman '“ and Brighton's Palace Pier

To mark 40 years of The Snowman, The Royal Mint has released a special edition 50p coin, which features Raymond Briggs' much loved characters.
The Snowman and Brighton Palace Pier feature on the special edition coin (Credit: The Royal Mint/Penguin Ventures)The Snowman and Brighton Palace Pier feature on the special edition coin (Credit: The Royal Mint/Penguin Ventures)
The Snowman and Brighton Palace Pier feature on the special edition coin (Credit: The Royal Mint/Penguin Ventures)

The Royal Mint announced a UK first full colour silver proof coin featuring The Snowman flying over Brighton’s Palace Pier.

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The silver proof edition of The Snowman coin is the first UK coin to feature a design realised entirely in colour.

Putting a new perspective on a classic scene from the book, The Snowman flies over Brighton Pier, with the bright city lights and twinkling stars captured in exquisite detail.

The task of creating a new design for the coin that lived up to the legacy of the source material fell to artist Natasha Ratcliffe.

She was helped with this by long-time Raymond Briggs collaborator, Robin Shaw, assistant director of The Snowman™ and The Snowdog, the sequel to the original animated adaptation of the book.

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Nicola Howell, director of consumer coin at The Royal Mint, said: “We are thrilled to be a part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Raymond Briggs’ book The Snowman.

“Over the past few years, the Beatrix Potter and Paddington collections have been incredibly popular with our collectors and we believe this stunning flying scene depicting The Snowman and James captured on a commemorative 50 pence coin will be equally well treasured by children and adults alike.’

The magical picture book first published in 1978, and was created by Briggs, who lives in Sussex.

The picture book tells the story of a boy who builds a snowman which comes to life at the stroke of midnight.

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He and the boy explore the house, trying not to wake the boy’s parents.

The Snowman and the boy go outside and take flight, travelling over snow-covered fields and getting a bird’s-eye view of the buildings of Brighton, including the Royal Pavilion.

They stay out until sunrise when the boy reluctantly goes home to bed. The next morning the boy wakes up to find that his new friend has melted.

To find out more about The Snowman coins, visit: www.royalmint.com/our-coins/events/40th-anniversary-of-the-snowman