A special coin celebrating one of the world’s most beloved fantasy films has just been released, and it comes with a pretty cool trick up its sleeve.
The Royal Mint in Wales has released a 50p coin to mark 25 years since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring first hit cinemas. It is the first in a series of seven collectible coins, with more planned to line up with the anniversaries of all three films.
The coin’s design is inspired by the One Ring, the powerful object at the centre of the story. It features Elvish lettering and Black Speech, the two scripts used to write the famous line “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them.”
But here is where things get really interesting. When light hits the coin at the right angle, a hidden image appears: the terrifying Eye of Sauron. This is a first for any coin made in the United Kingdom, and it uses special technology to pull off the effect. Rebecca Morgan said it was something fans would have to see for themselves to believe.
Lord of the Rings has had a strong connection with this part of the world ever since director Peter Jackson brought the trilogy to life in Aotearoa New Zealand. The films put places like Matamata, Queenstown, and the Waitomo region on the map for fans around the globe.
The coin is available to collect now, with six more set to follow over the coming years.
