Link to newsround

Baa-rilliant! Royal Mint coin to celebrate 50 years of Aardman

Photo of the new Royal Mint 50 Years of Aardman 50p. Image source, PA Media Assignments/PA
  • Published

If you are a fan of Shaun the Sheep, Wallace & Gromit, or Morphewe'll certainly be wanting one of these!

A new 50p coin featuring some of some of Aardman studios most recognisable characters has been announced.

The coin, which has been created to celebrate 50 years of Aardman studios, includes Morph, Shaun the Sheep and scheming villain Feathers McGraw, as well as Wallace & Gromit.

That's cracking news, Gromit!

To mark the launch, Aardman co-founder Peter Lord visited The Royal Mint to 'strike' one of the first of the 50p coins.

Striking a coin is when an image is pressed onto a blank metal disk.

But, you won't find one of these special 50 pence pieces showing up in your pocket money any time soon, as the coins are not going into circulation.

Instead, to get one, you have to buy it as a special collector's coin.

Who are Aardman animations?

Wallace and Gromit with the new Royal Mint 50 Years of Aardman 50pImage source, PA Media Assignments/PA

Aardman are a world-famous British animation studio based in Bristol, England.

They are well known for beloved characters from movies like Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run.

Aardman use stop-motion and clay animation techniques to produce films and television series.

Top facts about Aardman:

Screenshot taken from Aardmans Chicken run movie Image source, Aardman
  • The studio was founded back in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton.

  • Peter and David began their animating partnership while they were still at school.

  • Their first creation together was a tiny superhero called Aardman. The name stuck!

  • Animator and director Nick Park joined the company in 1985 and went onto create Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep.

  • Aardman has had seven Oscar nominations, and has won four Oscars.

Celebrating 50 years of Aardman...

Morph with the new Royal Mint 50 Years of Aardman 50p. Image source, PA Media Assignments/PA

This year the animation company are celebrating 50 years of claymation!

Anniversary events, the launch of a new film, and now the coin are the ways in which the company is being celebrated.

Peter Lord, co-founder of Aardman, said: "I'm very proud that the story of Aardman, and the characters we've created over the last 50 years, are being celebrated by the work of The Royal Mint."

"We love to bring pleasure and fun to our audiences, and these fabulous coins surely represent that joyous spirit."

So, are you a fan of Aardman's animations? Will you be getting a special coin?

Let us know in the comments below...