Albus Dumbledore 50p (2023)
The Albus Dumbledore 50p of 2023 shows the Hogwarts headmaster and is the third coin in the Harry Potter 25th anniversary set. It is looked up as the first Harry Potter 50p with King Charles III on the heads side. It is one of the eight Harry Potter 50p coins and one of the 172 50p designs struck since 1969.
Albus Dumbledore 50p value
- Uncirculated
- typical £13, range £9 to £14
Worked out from 5 published prices (3 dealer prices, 1 price guide and 1 sold-price report), each condition from its own prices, checked in September 2026.
Value comes down to condition and packaging, because this design was never released into circulation. A coin sealed in the Royal Mint's own pack is priced above the same coin in a capsule or a third-party card. Marks from handling, a torn pack or a missing card cut the price. The colour-printed edition is valued on its own, as are the silver and gold proof strikes of the design.
Albus Dumbledore 50p mintage and rarity
The Albus Dumbledore 50p was not issued for circulation, so it has no rarity rank.
How to spot an Albus Dumbledore 50p
The reverse shows the headmaster alone, with the words ALBUS DUMBLEDORE around him and 25 YEARS OF MAGIC in microtext. Turn the coin under a light to catch the latent 25 and lightning bolt. On the obverse you will find King Charles III, which separates it from the Harry Potter and Hogwarts Express coins of 2022. Both a plain and a colour-printed brilliant uncirculated version were sold, and neither was issued for use in change.
Known varieties of the Albus Dumbledore 50p, all listed among the UK error coins and varieties:
- Colour edition: A colour-printed brilliant uncirculated edition sold by The Royal Mint.
Albus Dumbledore 50p design
Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, took the third place in The Royal Mint's four-coin tribute to 25 years of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. His likeness is taken from Jim Kay's pictures for the 2015 fully illustrated edition of the book, and Ffion Gwillim turned the illustration into a coin design. Dumbledore appears at the centre, framed by the lettering ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, with 25 YEARS OF MAGIC in microtext. Like the rest of the anniversary coins, it carries a latent feature that reveals the number 25 or the lightning bolt depending on the angle. Released in early 2023, it was the first Harry Potter 50p struck with Martin Jennings's first coinage portrait of King Charles III. With the first two coins bearing Queen Elizabeth II and the last two bearing the King, the set became a dual-portrait series.
In the Harry Potter set it followed the Hogwarts Express 50p of 2022 and was issued in 2023 together with the Hogwarts 50p.
Albus Dumbledore 50p specifications
- Denomination
- 50p
- Year
- 2023
- Type
- Commemorative
- Issue
- Not issued for circulation
- Series
- Harry Potter
- Occasion
- 25th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Designer
- Jim Kay (illustration), modelled by Ffion Gwillim
- Composition
- Cupro-nickel
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diameter
- 27.3 mm
- Shape
- Seven-sided
- Edge
- Plain
- Obverse
- Charles III, first portrait by Martin Jennings
Albus Dumbledore 50p questions
Is the Dumbledore 50p rare?
It was never issued into change, so collector packs and the secondary market are the only places to find one. The plain version was sold openly to collectors in brilliant uncirculated packs, with no published issue limit.
Why does the Albus Dumbledore 50p have King Charles III on it?
It came out in 2023, after the King's accession, and was the first Harry Potter 50p to use Martin Jennings's portrait of him. The two earlier coins in the set show Queen Elizabeth II.
Does the Dumbledore 50p have a hidden image?
Yes. Like the other anniversary coins, it has a latent feature that shows the number 25 and a lightning bolt when the coin is tilted.