THE Snowman is back just in time for Christmas, appearing on a brand new 50p coin.

The Royal Mint has revealed a special edition coin featuring Raymond Briggs’ beloved festive character, making it a perfect collectible for the holiday season.

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The new design, created by illustrator Robin Shaw, captures the heart-warming scene of The Snowman placing a star at the top of a Christmas tree.

It’s a fitting tribute to one of the UK’s most iconic Christmas stories, with this being the seventh time The Snowman has appeared on a 50p coin.

The Snowman 50p has quickly become one of the most sought-after coins from The Royal Mint, and this latest release is no exception.

Since 2018, around 700,000 Snowman coins have been snapped up by collectors worldwide, making it a firm festive favourite.

Fans of the classic story will be excited to know that this year’s edition comes with an extra special touch.

A limited number of the coins will be produced in full colour, bringing the snowy scene to life in even more detail.

From 11 November, fans will be able to strike their very own 50p featuring The Snowman.

The coins won’t be entering general circulation, so eager collectors will need to head to The Royal Mint’s website to get their hands on one.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, says the Snowman 50p has become a Christmas tradition.

She said: “We’re thrilled to continue this much-loved story on UK coinage.

“Robin Shaw’s design captures the magic of Christmas and adds to the timeless appeal of The Snowman.”

Robin Shaw, the artist behind the design, has a long history with the character, having worked as the art director on The Snowman and The Snowdog, the TV sequel to the original The Snowman.

Speaking about the new coin, Shaw said: “It’s an honour to see my design on a 50 pence piece once again, and this year’s edition is truly special.”

For die-hard fans of the festive favourite, there’s an extra reason to celebrate this year.

The Royal Mint has hidden a solid gold Snowman coin behind door 24 of a limited-edition Snowman advent calendar.

One lucky buyer will strike gold on Christmas Eve.

The Snowman 50p coin is available in a variety of finishes, including precious metals, and collectors can also visit The Royal Mint Experience in South Wales from November 11 to strike their very own Snowman coin.

Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, first published in 1978, has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide and continues to capture the magic of Christmas for young and old alike.

The animated short film, first aired on Channel 4 in 1982, remains a Christmas TV staple.

This year’s 50p coin is the perfect way to celebrate the enduring appeal of The Snowman, offering fans a lasting keepsake to treasure.

Whether it’s placed in a collection or passed down as a family heirloom, The Snowman 50p is sure to be a festive hit.

Meanwhile, 50p coins seem to be all the rage, with one special edition 50p selling for triple its value.

And unlike The Snowman coin, not all collectables feature fun illustrations, in fact some coins can prove majorly valuable because of errors or mistakes.

That doesn’t just apply to coins, a tiny marking on a £10 note could actually make it 1,700 more valuable as one note sold at an auction for a whopping £17,000.

How much can I buy the new Snowman coin for?

You can purchase the Snowman coins from The Royal Mint website.

Prices start from £11 for a brilliant uncirculated coin and £20 for a colour version, all the way up to £1,220 for a gold proof coin.

Collectors are already listing the coins on eBay too.

At the moment you can find one of the brilliant uncirculated 50p coins listed for £9.49 and the coloured version for £14.99.

Also listed on the bidding site is a silver-proof coin for £109.50.

Remember that just because an item is listed for a certain amount it does not mean that someone will buy it for that price.

Another thing to bear in mind is if you can still buy the coin directly from The Royal Mint website then it is unlikely you will get much more for it on eBay.

Usually, collectors buy these limited edition coins in the hope that they will go up in value as there is only a certain number of them available, but this is not always the case.

However, in 2018 one rare Snowman coin did fetch quite a sum.

The coin was launched on the Isle of Man in 2003 and only 10,000 were ever minted.

It was released as a limited-edition coin to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of The Snowman.

The rare 50p coin sold on eBay for £292 in October 2018.

In 2022 fans of The Snowman were able to add to their collection with new coins celebrating ten years since the release of The Snowman and Snowdog.

One of the silver proof coins in this range sold for £70 on eBay which was just a couple of pounds more than the list on The Royal Mint web website.

At the moment other coins in The Snowman range are also listed on eBay.

A 2018 Snowman silver proof coin is listed for £100, while a gold proof coin of the same year is listed for a whopping £1,750.

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SHOPPERS are left in awe after this trendy footwear scanned for only a pound at Sports Direct.

The offer had fans flocking to the store to grab a pair of popular shoes for a staggeringly low price.

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These Sports Direct Cloggs were marked as a tenner on the price tag, but one lucky shopper realised they were scanning for a mere £1.

Thrilled with this bargain, she took to social media to show off her outstanding find mentioning the charms were removable as well.

The post racked up hundreds of likes with Facebook users commenting excitedly about the discovery.

One user wrote: “I need.”

Another tagged a friend commenting: “Go on you have to get these.”

A third user reassured the post admin that the price wasn’t a mistake: “They’re online at this price too, have been for weeks.”

The shoes are no longer on the Sports Direct website but shoppers are desperate to head in store to get their hands on their very own one-pound Cloggs.

The foamy footwear has had a resurgence of popularity in recent years with actors, supermodels and influencers all sporting the look.

Their practicality, comfort and affordability have allowed them to become to the top of many Christmas lists.

With removable charms, also known as Jibbitz, you’re also able to personalise them however you like.

The £1 Cloggs come with Sports Direct-themed charms including the company logo, a football – and of course, the oversized Sports Direct mug.

For those in the Cloggmas spirit, these aren’t the only pair the sports retailer is selling at a slashed price.

You can grab a kids bubblegum pink pair of Cloggs for £3.50 or a bright cobalt blue for £5.

If you’re prepared to jump up to £6 you can even get a range of swirled colours and patterned Cloggs.

For even more offers and bargains the Sports Direct outlet offers up to 70% on the entire brand.

Given that the Classic Croc on the Crocs official website sells them at a price of £44.99, if you’re looking for a winter steal Sports Direct might be the place for you.

CAFFEINE enthusiasts can save a bean or two by joining a coffee club.

Here’s how to cut back on the cost of your cuppas . . . 

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LEON ROAST REWARDS: Leon’s Roast Rewards subscription is £25 a month and gives five barista-made drinks a day, with an hour’s gap between each.

Also, get 20 per cent off the breakfast and all-day food menus, except meal deals.

A latte is about £3.95, so three a week is £11.85, or £51.35 per month, ­versus the Leon monthly subscription of £25.

CLUB PRET: Pret A Manger’s Club Pret was £30 per month and gave five free coffees a day.

But it is now £5 per month, rising to £10 from March 31, 2025, and instead you get 50 per cent off five hot or cold barista-made drinks a day.

They can be taken every 30 minutes.

A latte is about £4.05, so three per week is £12.15, or £52.65 a month, versus £31.33 a month with the Club Pret £5 monthly sub and half-price deal.

BLANK STREET REGULARS: Blank Street coffee is famed for its iced matchas but its rewards club is trickier to join.

You must be referred by a pal already on the subscription, or download its app to keep an eye on its wait-list opening — it’s currently full.

Club membership is about £12 a week (£52 per month) and you get 14 free barista-made drinks a week, redeemable every half hour, plus 20 per cent off other drinks and ten per cent off food.

A latte is about £3.50, so three a week is £10.50, or about £45.50 per month, versus the Blank Street sub of £52 a month, so you would need to be a real regular for this pay.

COFFEE CLUB: The Coffee Club app is best if you don’t want to use just one coffee chain.

For £3.99 per month or £24.99 a year, get 25 per cent off barista-made drinks at participating coffee shops, including Caffe Nero and Black Sheep Coffee.

Scan the code on the app when in cafes.

There’s a 30-day free trial.

A Caffe Nero latte is about £4.10, so three a week is £12.30, or about £53.30 per month, versus £43.97 a month with Coffee Club’s £3.99 monthly sub and 25 per cent off.

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

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WITH the incoming cold snap, the last thing you want is to be feeling frosty about heating bills.

Aldi reveals a winter gadget that could keep you from from huddling by the radiator this season.

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It’s safe to say summer has come to a close, with temperatures dropping down to into the single digits and Christmas adverts popping up.

This year millions of Brits are fearful about touching their radiators due to skyrocketing heating bills.

Exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, energy bills are becoming another cause for concern among UK households.

With it getting chillier the further we get into October, now is the best time to prepare for those long winter nights.

Fortunately, there are is a product from Aldi dropping soon that might help you steer away from that hefty heating bill.

One of Aldi’s famed specialbuys is coming in-store soon to save you from splashing out.

The Workzone Adhesive Draught Excluder is on sale for £1.99 and lines the gaps between your windows to prevent drauphts.

Heat often escapes through breaks in the window and can drastically change the temperature of a room.

The product description reads: “This accessory is great for keeping a room warm and keeping any chilling winds outside rather than in.”

By lining the window edges and blocking any temperature transfer, you’ll be less likely to whack those radiators on.

The soft-adhesive sticks to glass and window frames, fitting gaps from 2-5mm.

If you’re conscious of keeping your rooms stylish, as well as cosy, the draupht excluders come in three sets of colours to match your interior – white, brown and black.

For £1.99 you get two 5m lengths of adhesive which is long enough to cover most windows.

Draught excluders are said to save up to 30 per cent on energy bills in extreme cases and 10–20 per cent in less extreme situations.

For a single coin, this nifty gadget could save you a shed load.

Aldi isn’t the only store that has window draupht excluders available, with Amazon offering them at £5.99 and Argos pricing them at £15.

If you’re looking to keep your home as toasty as possible you can also grab yourself a Livarno Home Draught Excluder for £4.99. 

This means you can tackle the bottom of your doorframes as well as the gaps in your windows.

A GRUMPY pub owner is reluctantly lifting his ban on the sale of half pints and soft drinks.

John Bittles outright refused to add fizzy drinks to his menu and any Guinness pours smaller than a full pint some two years ago.

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The Belfast-based landlord has since changed his ways after revelling in tourists and visitor’s sufferings for long enough.

Despite being music to the ears of those who prefer shorter beverages, a half-pint will now cost just 85p less than a full one.

The eye-watering price tag of Bittles’ half pints in one of the capital’s smallest pubs is £4.95.

And the change of heart is thanks to the influx of cruise ships docking in the port right next to his tiny establishment.

John told Metro: “Touristy people especially are coming looking for a half pint, so I’ve worked out what I have to do to make it worth my while.”

He added some do decide to just order a full pint when they realise the cost.

But many are happy to pay for the half because they’re “not pint-drinking people, they are more half-pint people”.

John previously made a sign stating “No coke drinkers” – with customers being refused a soft drink – before lifting the ban.

However, strict conditions still apply.

Bittles is only allowing the sale of pop if the buyer is with someone ordering an alcoholic drink.

BEFORE you chuck your change make sure to keep an eye out for this one detail that could be worth hundreds, after one sold for £85.

This little design flaw could turn your £2 coin into more than just a pretty penny.

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If you spot an engraved Gorilla portrait on a 2019 £2 coin, you may be in for a win.

According to rare coin site The Great British Coin Hunt, the Jersey Zoo Gorilla coin is one to look out for.

The site claims there was supposed be a full set of these uncoloured coins available, but due to the Covid restrictions there were only a few of these printed.

Due to its scarcity, the uncoloured coin price has soared in value even without the misprint and now can be sold for around £100 a pop.

The misprint – coins with no denomination – are even more highly sought-after by rare coin collectors and and are worth lot more than face value.

If you’re lucky enough to spot one of these, make sure you check for the design error which bumps the price up to a whopping £200 to £300.

Check the coin for the Gorilla engraving – it will also have crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the back, wearing the Girls of Great Britain tiara.

If it doesn’t explicitly state it’s worth two pounds then you can’t cash in.

On eBay, one of these error coins was selling for £85 – more than 42 times the face value.

Seller Pauline2711 posted the auction on August 8 with five different bidders trying to get their hands on it.

However, this isn’t the only £2 coin worth keeping an eye out for.

The 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland coin can reach up to £60 with only 485,500 minted.

If you’ve got the complete set then you can snag even more with one collector selling four coins for £100.

The Olympic coins are often price up, and if you can spot the Olympic centenary you’ll get more than just memorabilia of the 2012 London games.

With 910,000 in circulation you may even be able to find one, which could sell on eBay for £37.95.

How to sell a rare coin

If you have managed to get your hands on a rare coin, there are a few ways you can go about selling it.

Online platforms like eBay, Facebook marketplace, or trading apps can be easy to use – but there are risks.

Scammers may try and target sellers with this trick – they’ll say they are keen to purchase the item and ask for money upfront for a courier.

Unfortunately they have no plan on collecting the item and are only using the courier to grab free cash.

When buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace it’s advisable to meet up in person.

Make sure this is a safe space and avoid payment links.

Many sellers will choose to handle cash when meeting to limit the risk of scams.

To ensure the ultimate safety you can sell rare coins at an auction.

This can be done through The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service which has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.

If you send them an email, a member of the valuation team will responded – however you will be charged for this service.

Finally, you can sell rare coins on eBay.

Here you are fully responsible for the sale price but eBay will take a cut.

The site charge 10% of the money you made which includes postage and packaging.

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