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The Royal Mint has concealed a gold 50p coin celebrating The Snowman within one of its advent calendars.
Priced at £39.95, each calendar contains 23 chocolate treats.
Behind door 24, buyers will typically find a brilliant uncirculated colour edition of The Snowman 2026 50p.
However, a single calendar features a hidden 22-carat gold version—individually valued at £2,495 by The Royal Mint—allowing one customer to strike gold on Christmas Eve.
Alongside the advent calendars, members of the public can purchase the new Snowman coins individually from £19.95.
Produced in partnership with Snowman Enterprises Limited, the collection includes brilliant uncirculated, colour, gold, and silver editions. The commemorative 50p showcases a fresh festive artwork designed by animator and illustrator Robin Shaw.
The design depicts The Snowman decorating a Christmas tree alongside young James.
First published in 1978 as a wordless picture book, The Snowman has since sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide. The book inspired an animated short film that was first broadcast on Channel 4 on December 26 1982.
The 2026 release marks the ninth time The Snowman has featured on an official UK coin, The Royal Mint said.
Since The Snowman first appeared on a Royal Mint 50p in 2018, close to 700,000 coins featuring the character have made their way into collections globally across 75 different countries, the Mint said.
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Royal Mint previously hid a solid gold Snowman coin inside an advent calendar in 2024.
