Harry Potter-themed 50p coins featuring Dumbledore and portraits of two British monarchs gain popularity

New coins featuring Harry Potter, Dumbledore and portraits of two British monarchs were recently added as part of a Harry Potter-themed collection by the Royal Mint.

Experts are now predicting an unlikely boom in the collectors items which consists of four Harry Potter-themed 50p coins. It is set to become hugely popular among collectors, fans and investors.

Details about the popular Harry Potter collector's coins

This set is extremely rare and also features the portraits of King Charles III and late Queen Elizabeth II. The portrait of the monarchs are featured on the "heads" of the special 50p coins that will be joining the trove of collector's items of the much-loved best-selling book series.

One side of the first two coins features Harry Potter's face or the Hogwarts Express train, while the other side shows the late Queen Elizabeth II. This is due to the fact that the coins were minted last year—having been designed before the Queen passed away. They have the year 2022 inscribed on them.

The other two coins in the set—which features either headmaster Professor Dumbledore or the Hogwarts school, are being minted with the King's portrait on the other side. These coins are etched with the date 2023 on them.

The coin featuring Dumbledore was made available for sale last month, whereas, the coin which features Hogwarts is set to be launched later in the year.

The coins mark the 25th anniversary of 'Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone'

The Harry Potter 50p series was introduced last year to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of JK Rowling's "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone" which was published in 1997 by Bloomsbury.

The coin series was developed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, the Blair Partnership, and Bloomsbury Publishing. The Royal Mint reported that fans of the Harry Potter series have so far purchased at least one coin from the collection in 86 different nations.

The coins are legal tender, which means that they will be recognised by law as a means to settle a public or private debt or meet a financial obligation. However, they will not be put into general circulation. Instead, they can be purchased starting from £11 each from the Royal Mint's website.

The coin is available for purchase on the website in a 50p denomination as well as other denominations. Some of the coins in the collection are coloured, and others have a "latent feature" that rotates in the light to reveal a lightning bolt and the year "25" to commemorate the 25th anniversary.

The coins' production and rarity

The Royal Mint did not specify how many coins in the series are being produced.

"When coins have unique collecting stories behind them — dual dates, dual portraits, or low edition limits — they become instant must-haves," said Alex Siddons, of coin website Change Checker.

The Hogwarts Express 50p coin, minted in 2022 will be the last ones featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II. According to Siddons, this makes the coin 'particularly sought-after' among collectors.

"The Royal Mint's Harry Potter coin collection has seen a popular response among collectors worldwide, not only for the books being a global phenomenon, but due to the collection being one of a small number that will see a change of portrait during the series," said Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services.

"The 50p coin featuring Professor Albus Dumbledore marks this change of portrait, with His Majesty King Charles III's official coin portrait now appearing for the first time in the series.

"This collection of coins serves as a permanent reminder of the fascinating transition from Britain's longest reigning monarch to His Majesty the King's first appearance on UK coinage," she added.

This one-of-a-kind set has been in high demand among collectors and Harry Potter fans alike. The final coin of the collection is set to be released later this year.