To mark 25 years since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, The Royal Mint is celebrating this classic of children’s literature with a collection of UK coins. The idea for Harry Potter, the boy in glasses who didn’t yet know he was a wizard, first came to J.K. Rowling during a delayed train journey from Manchester to London. From that moment of magic, the Boy Who Lived was imagined into being – an unassuming, eleven-year-old hero destined to face terrible danger, but also find greatness within himself. The reverse of each coin will feature an original illustration by Jim Kay, the artist who created the first fully illustrated edition of this Harry Potter story.

The first coin will feature Harry Potter, the boy wizard and hero of the books, followed by three more coin designs featuring the Hogwarts Express, Albus Dumbledore, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is the first time the wizarding world of Harry Potter has appeared on UK coins struck by The Royal Mint.