Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint
  • 50 Pence 2023, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Charles III, 25th Anniversary of Harry Potter Magic, Albus Dumbledore
  • 50 Pence 2023, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Charles III, 25th Anniversary of Harry Potter Magic, Albus Dumbledore
  • 50 Pence 2023, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Charles III, 25th Anniversary of Harry Potter Magic, Albus Dumbledore, Fold-out packaging
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.

Obverse

Depicts King Charles III’s effigy, surrounded by the Latin inscription. Engraver's initials on the neck.

CHARLES III DEI GRATIA REX FIDEI DEFENSOR means King Charles III, by the Grace of God King, Defender of the Faith.

Engraver: Martin Jennings (MJ)

•CHARLES III•D•G•REX•F•D•50 PENCE•2023
MJ

Reverse

Depicts a dynamic image of Professor Albus Dumbledore at his desk, facing quarter right, surrounded by small stars.

Each coin in the series has a latent feature that displays a lightning bolt and the number 25 for the special anniversary.

Prof. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. As part of his backstory, it is revealed that he is the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation dedicated to fighting Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist of the series.

Rowling stated she chose the name Dumbledore, which is a dialectal word for "bumblebee", because of Dumbledore's love of music: she imagined him walking around "humming to himself a lot".

Design: Jim Kay and Ffion Gwillim

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
25
25 YEARS OF MAGIC

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 8 g
Diameter 27.3 mm
Thickness -
Shape polygon
Sides 7
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Mint

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