ROYAL MINT LAUNCHES AARDMAN ANIMATIONS 50TH ANNIVERSARY COIN SERIES

The Royal Mint has unveiled a series of collectable coins to mark 50 years of Aardman Animations. The collection centres on a new 50p coin whose reverse side was designed by Aardman itself. Characters depicted include Feathers McGraw, Shaun the Sheep, Morph, and Wallace and Gromit. A selection of the coins will be issued in full colour.

Aardman co-founder Peter Lord visited The Royal Mint to personally strike one of the first coins in the series. The Bristol-based, employee-owned studio has produced stop-motion animation since the 1970s and holds multiple Academy Awards. Rebecca Morgan, director at The Royal Mint, said Aardman characters had been "part of the fabric of British life for 50 years." Lord said he was proud that both the studio's history and its characters were being recognised through the collaboration.

Aardman is marking its half-century with a range of events throughout the year. The studio is also scheduled to release a new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, this autumn. Lord noted similarities between The Royal Mint and the Aardman studio, describing both as home to skilled artists and craftspeople. The coin series forms part of a broader programme of activity to celebrate the anniversary.