Cracking news Gromit! New Royal Mint 50p coin celebrates 50 years of Aardman

Collectable coins celebrating 50 years of Aardman, the Academy Award-winning animation studio behind beloved characters such as Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, are being launched by The Royal Mint.

The “tails” side of the coin was designed by Aardman and features some of the most recognisable characters from the studio’s back catalogue.

The design includes Morph, Shaun the Sheep and scheming villain Feathers McGraw, as well as Wallace and Gromit.

A selection of the coins will also bring the designs to life in colour.

To mark the launch, Aardman co-founder Peter Lord visited The Royal Mint to strike one of the first of the 50p coins.

Aardman, known for its stop-motion style of filming, whereby characters are moved in small increments, is an employee-owned company based in Bristol.

It has been entertaining viewers since the 1970s, building generations of fans.

Gromit often gets Wallace out of trouble (Alistair Heap/PA Media Assignments)

Morph featured on the children’s art programme Take Hart.

The farmyard antics of Shaun the Sheep and Timmy have also charmed viewers, as have cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit who often gets him out of trouble.

This year sees the studio celebrate its 50th anniversary with events and celebrations highlighting the craft and legacy of Aardman and with the launch of a new film, Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom, in the autumn.

Morph is among Aardman’s earlier characters (Alistair Heap/PA Media Assignments)

Rebecca Morgan, director at The Royal Mint, said: “Aardman characters have been part of the fabric of British life for 50 years, and the nostalgia they carry is truly extraordinary.

“Whether you grew up watching Wallace and Gromit on Christmas Day, fell in love with Morph as a child, or introduced Shaun the Sheep to a new generation, these characters hold a very special place in people’s hearts.”

Mr Lord said: “I’m very proud that the story of Aardman, and the characters we’ve created over the last 50 years, are being celebrated by the work of The Royal Mint.

Peter Lord said it was ‘such a pleasure’ to see the work of The Royal Mint (Royal Mint/PA)

“It was such a pleasure to visit and see for myself, close up, the amazing care and artistry that goes into making these beautiful coins.

“In fact, the whole place reminded me of the Aardman studio – both are full of super-talented artists and craftspeople creating timeless work.

“We love to bring pleasure and fun to our audiences, and these fabulous coins surely represent that joyous spirit.”

A gold version of the Aardman 50p will be produced from recycled gold, coming from old jewellery and coins.

Prices start at £15 (Alistair Heap/PA Media Assignments)

The Royal Mint said it aims to extend this approach to all of its collectable gold coins by the end of 2026.

The coins will be available to buy from 9am on Tuesday June 9 from The Royal Mint’s website.

As well as brilliant uncirculated and colour versions, gold and silver versions of the coin are also available.

Prices start at £15 for a brilliant uncirculated 50p coin and £25 for a colour version.

A silver coin is available at £92.50 and a gold coin can be purchased for £2,420.