The Gruffalo's Child 50p (2024)
The Gruffalo's Child 50p marks twenty years of the Gruffalo sequel and is the first Gruffalo coin with King Charles III on the obverse. The Royal Mint sold it only to collectors, so it does not turn up in change. It is the third of the three Gruffalo 50p coins and one of the 172 50p designs struck since 1969.
The Gruffalo's Child 50p value
- Uncirculated
- typical £10, range £9 to £10
Worked out from 8 published prices (5 dealer prices, 2 sold-price reports and 1 price guide), each condition from its own prices, checked in September 2026.
The Gruffalo's Child 50p was issued only in collector quality, so buyers look at packaging and finish. It has been sold in a Royal Mint pack, loose in capsules and in certified dealer packs, and dealers price the Royal Mint pack above the other two. A loose coin with handling marks across the snow scene sells for less. The colour edition was sold with a published issue limit and is priced separately, as are the colour silver proof and gold proof.
The Gruffalo's Child 50p mintage and rarity
The Gruffalo's Child 50p was not issued for circulation, so it has no rarity rank.
How to spot The Gruffalo's Child 50p
The snow gives it away. The Gruffalo's Child 50p shows a wintry scene with footprints and trees, the Mouse in a tree and the Child holding a Stick Man doll, and it reads THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD rather than THE GRUFFALO. Turn it over and you will see King Charles III by Martin Jennings, whereas both 2019 Gruffalo coins carry Queen Elizabeth II. A colour-printed edition of the same scene was also sold.
Known varieties of The Gruffalo's Child 50p, all listed among the UK error coins and varieties:
- Colour edition: A colour-printed brilliant uncirculated edition, with an issue limit of 25,000.
The Gruffalo's Child 50p design
The Gruffalo's Child was published in 2004 as the follow-up to The Gruffalo, and the Royal Mint marked its twentieth anniversary with this 2024 coin, the first Gruffalo release since the two 2019 designs. The reverse uses Axel Scheffler's artwork from Julia Donaldson's book, remastered for the coin by the Royal Mint's Emma Noble and produced with Magic Light Pictures. It captures the moment the Gruffalo's Child meets the Mouse. The Mouse, up a tree, wears a sly smirk, while the Child stands below holding a Stick Man doll and waits anxiously for the Big Bad Mouse. Footprints cross the snow, detailed trees fill the background, and the title THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD appears on the design. Alongside the standard brilliant uncirculated coin, the Royal Mint offered a colour edition, a colour silver proof and a fortieth-ounce gold proof.
In the Gruffalo set it came after The Gruffalo and Mouse 50p of 2019.
The Gruffalo's Child 50p specifications
- Denomination
- 50p
- Year
- 2024
- Type
- Commemorative
- Issue
- Not issued for circulation
- Series
- The Gruffalo
- Occasion
- 20th anniversary of The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
- Designer
- Axel Scheffler and Magic Light Pictures
- Composition
- Cupro-nickel
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diameter
- 27.3 mm
- Shape
- Seven-sided
- Edge
- Plain
- Obverse
- Charles III, first portrait by Martin Jennings
The Gruffalo's Child 50p questions
Is the Gruffalo's Child 50p in circulation?
No. It was sold only to collectors, as a brilliant uncirculated coin, a colour edition, a colour silver proof and a gold proof.
Which Gruffalo 50p has King Charles III on it?
The Gruffalo's Child 50p from 2024 is the first Gruffalo coin with his portrait, by Martin Jennings. The two 2019 Gruffalo coins show Queen Elizabeth II.
Whose artwork is on the Gruffalo's Child 50p?
The reverse uses Axel Scheffler's artwork from the book, remastered by the Royal Mint's Emma Noble and produced with Magic Light Pictures.