Royal Mint Releases An Alice In Wonderland Coin

It's always been one of our favourite stories - and now, it's being immortalised in coin form.

The Royal Mint has announced they are realising their very first official coin collection, which has taken inspiration from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

The coins have been made in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert museum, in order to properly commemorate the much-loved novel by Lewis Carroll.

The Royal Mint)

The pièce de resistance of the collection is the special £5 coin, featuring Alice and the Cheshire Cat.

The coin was revealed alongside the original illustrations by Sir John Tenniel at the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the V&A.

Using traditional minting techniques and innovative design technology, the new coin is one of the most ornate in The Royal Mint's history, with the fine detail showing the illustration in full colour. It is available in base metal, as well as in gold and silver.

The Royal Mint)

If you're interested in grabbing a coin for yourself, it's certainly worth a pretty penny. Depending on what version you plump for, prices can range from £13 to an eye-watering £2,440.

The coin is part of a two-coin collectors' range created by The Royal Mint Designer Ffion Gwillim and Sculptor Emma Noble. The second coin, featuring Tweedledum and Tweedledee, will launch later this summer in celebration of 150 years of Through the Looking-Glass - the sequel to the original book.

Clare Maclennan Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a true classic that has been cherished by generations of adults and children of all ages and is still as popular today. In collaboration with the V&A, we have commemorated this treasured tale for the first time on an official UK coin.

The Royal Mint)

"Inspired by Sir John Tenniel's original illustrations, the beautiful £5 crown has been crafted to the finest quality, combining traditional minting skills with innovation in design technology. I'm sure the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland range will become a popular choice for collectors, capturing the imagination of people of all ages, and to launch at the awe-inspiring Victoria and Albert Museum during the 150th anniversary of Through the Looking-Glass is a fitting celebration."

Amelia Calver, Research and Development Manager, V&A Brand Licensing, added: "We're delighted to be celebrating the global phenomenon beloved by all ages, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with the 2021 commemorative coins. The designs masterfully capture the charm of Tenniel's original illustrations and pay homage to some of the Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass characters that Alice meets along the way.

The Royal Mint)

"The 2021 coins are set to give fans the chance to add to their existing collections and inspire new readers of the book to discover the magic of Carroll's stories and embark on wondrous journeys of their own."

Lewis Carrol originally wrote Alice's Adventures In Wonderland in 1865, however, it remains a family favourite thanks to the Disney film adaptation, Alice in Wonderland, released in 1951.

Topics: UK News, Disney, News, Money

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

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