The Royal Mint, inspired by Disney, has launched the latest 50p coin in the much-loved Winnie the Pooh and Friends coin collection, featuring Eeyore on an official UK 50p coin.
Also joining the adventure in 2022 are Kanga and Roo and a final gathering of Pooh and his closest friends from Hundred Acre Wood represented on a 50p, concluding the popular nine-coin collection.
In collaboration with Disney, the childhood character coin designs have been inspired by the original illustrations of E. H. Shepard from A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories published in 1926.
Combining traditional craftsmanship and innovation, the classic watercolour effect of the original 1926 manuscript has been remastered with colour printing across the special-edition silver and BU coins.
The new characters follow Winnie the Pooh, Owl, Tigger, Christopher Robin and Piglet, who have each been miniaturised on a 50p since the Winnie the Pooh and Friends coins first launched in 2020.
Designed by The Royal Mint designer Daniel Thorne, the timeless characters have been brought to life in miniature on a gold, silver colour edition and brilliant uncirculated, also available with colour printing.
Adding an original twist, Thorne’s signature bee motif continues to feature alongside the classic design across the 2022 coins, as well as the entire Winnie the Pooh and Friends range.
The latest Eeyore design is available individually from today at The Royal Mint website. Collectors can also sign up to purchase the three 2022 Winnie the Pooh and Friends coins or the nine-coin collection.
Clare Maclennan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, said: “The Winnie the Pooh and Friends collection, inspired by Disney, has proved popular with coin collectors of all ages, and continues to appeal to new and younger collectors wanting to celebrate their favourite characters with a collectable 50p. In the latest instalment of the timeless Winnie the Pooh range, we are delighted to reveal that Eeyore will be joining the fun in 2022.
“Inspired by the original illustrations from the classic A. A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh publication, the new Eeyore design showcases the creativity, craftsmanship and innovation of The Royal Mint’s design team – with the added charm of the special-colour-edition coins, which capture the original watercolour illustrations of E. H. Shepard, in a fitting tribute to the much-loved adventures.”
Speaking of the design, The Royal Mint’s designer Dan Thorne said: “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. 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.”
