The Snowman 50p (2024)

The 2024 Snowman 50p was never struck for circulation, so condition means freedom from handling marks rather than wear. The Royal Mint Christmas card is the benchmark presentation, and a creased card or a scratched coin sells for less. The colour edition, in its limited pack and advent calendar versions, is valued separately.

The Snowman 50p was not issued for circulation, so it has no rarity rank.

Look for the Snowman alone among Christmas trees, putting a star on the top of one. James is missing, which sets it apart from the 2023 and 2025 coins, and there is no dog, which rules out the 2022 design. King Charles III faces left on the heads side, with the value and 2024 in the legend. The colour edition prints the scene in colour; it came in a limited pack or inside an advent calendar.

Known varieties of The Snowman 50p, all listed among the UK error coins and varieties:

• Colour edition: A colour-printed brilliant uncirculated edition in a limited presentation of 20,000, plus an advent calendar edition limited to 3,000.

For 2024 Robin Shaw left James out and gave the Snowman the scene to himself. Surrounded by Christmas trees, the Snowman places a star on top of one of them. It was only the second coin in the series without the boy, after the 2022 Snowman and The Snowdog. The book behind the series appeared in 1978, drawn by Raymond Briggs entirely in coloured pencils, with pictures alone carrying the plot: James builds a snowman, and that night it comes to life. The animated film premiered on Channel 4 on 26 December 1982 and has been screened each Christmas ever since. The coin went on sale on 14 October 2024, packed in a Christmas card, with the King's portrait on the obverse. Between 11 November and 23 December it was also offered as a strike-your-own coin at the Royal Mint Experience. A colour edition came in a limited presentation pack and in an advent calendar.

In the Snowman set it followed The Snowman 50p of 2023 and came before The Snowman 50p of 2025.