Royal Mint launches special Winnie the Pooh coins to mark 95th anniversary
The Royal Mint is celebrating 95 years since Winnie the Pooh was first published with a series of special 50p coins.
Designers said the coins are inspired by the original illustrations of E.H. Shepard, taken from the pages of A.A. Milne’s classic children's books, first published in 1926.
The designs feature Winnie the Pooh and his trusted friends; Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga and Roo.
The iconic bear joins Peter Rabbit, Harry Potter, Paddington Bear and Alice in Wonderland in being commemorated on UK currency.
Designer Daniel Thorne said he wanted to stay true to the iconic E.H. Shepard decorations, while also adding his own special twist using a bee motif that features on each design in the series.
“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," he said.
"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.”
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