A new Gruffalo 50p coin could be on the way - here's everything we know so far

A new commemorative coin featuring popular children's literature character the Gruffalo is rumoured to be coming soon. According to Change Checker, "something very exciting is making its way out of the deep dark wood." "Rumour has it that the Gruffalo will be returning for a second 50p coin." Here's what we know so far. What will the coin be like? Change Checker reports that "no further details have been released just yet and any designs remain top secret." How much could it be worth? The first commemorative UK coin to feature the Gruffalo was released in February 2019, and was so popular it crashed the Royal Mint's website. When the Royal Mint launched the limited-edition commemorative coins depicting the distinctive beast with his orange eyes, poisonous wart and purple prickles, collectors were ready and waiting, and the website struggled to cope with the demand as a result. The rush for demand prompted The Royal Mint to issue a message that its team was “working hard to improve the checkout accuracy and speed, which is taking a little longer than we anticipated given the popularity of The Gruffalo”, and thanked customers for their patience. The Gruffalo follows in the footsteps of other children’s books to be immortalised on a coin. These include Paddington bear, The Snowman and animals from the Beatrix Potter literary universe. A coin of Peter Rabbit sold for £840 last year. Why the Gruffalo? Based on Chinese folklore, The Gruffalo tells the tale of a mouse who tricks animals who want to eat him that he is the most fearsome creature in the forest – more fearsome in fact than the titular character. After the first edition by Julia Donaldson was published 20 years ago, with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, it became an instant hit and sold 13.5million copies worldwide. It won the Nestlé Book Prize in 1999 for the 0-5 years category – the same year Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling won the 9-11 years award. It sparked book sequels and has been brought to life on stage, in a 2009 Oscar-nominated film and a trail in the Forest of Dean. Nicola Howell, director of consumer business at The Royal Mint, said, “Over the last 20 years The Gruffalo has become one of the most famous children’s characters in the world. “We felt it was only right, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the book being published to feature him on a commemorative coin. We hope that children and adults across the UK will love this family favourite as much as we do.” This article originally appeared on our sister site, inews