Description

When Peter Rabbit appeared in the first of Beatrix Potter’s little tales, the mischievous blue-coated bunny was destined to become a star, going on to appear throughout the series. Ever since the Royal Mint began celebrating the life and work of Beatrix Potter in 2016, Peter has launched the coin range for each year, followed by other characters on their own coins. This is the fifth and the final official United Kingdom coin from The Royal Mint to feature Peter Rabbit.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a British children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter that follows mischievous and disobedient young Peter Rabbit as he is chased about the garden of Mr. McGregor. He escapes and returns home to his mother, who puts him to bed after dosing him with camomile tea.

The tale was written for five-year-old Noel Moore, son of Potter's former governess Annie Carter Moore, in 1893. It was revised and privately printed by Potter in 1901 after several publishers' rejections, but was printed in a trade edition by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902. The book was a success, and multiple reprints were issued in the years immediately following its debut. It has been translated into 36 languages, and with 45 million copies sold it is one of the best-selling books of all time.

Since 2016, Peter Rabbit has encouraged a whole new generation to start collecting – featuring on five 50p coins in the Beatrix Potter series. And now the tale continues as Potter’s most famous character makes his debut appearance on a UK £2 coin.