Description

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the Harry Potter series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday, when he receives a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry makes close friends and a few enemies during his first year at the school and with the help of his friends, he faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents, but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.

The book was first published in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1997 by Bloomsbury. It was published in the United States the following year by Scholastic Corporation under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It won most of the British book awards that were judged by children and other awards in the US. It has been translated into at least 73 other languages and has been made into a feature-length film of the same name, as have all six of its sequels. The novel has sold in excess of 120 million copies, making it the third best-selling novel of all time.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone publication the Royal Mint has struck a four-coin series that begins with a coin celebrating Harry Potter, the boy wizard and hero of the books. This is the very first time the wizarding world of Harry Potter has appeared on UK coins. Other coins in the collection would feature the Hogwarts Express, Professor Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reverse of each coin features an original illustration by Jim Kay, the artist who created the first fully illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

The first coins in the collection will feature the image of Elizabeth, and the final two, launching next year, will feature King Charles. The first two coins were produced before the Queen's death in September, but the Royal Mint said it was not replacing it with the portrait of King Charles III to minimise waste or unnecessary environmental impact.