Royal Mint to release Beatrix Potter 50p coins featuring Peter Rabbit

The coin will launch on 19 March

(Rex Features)

Beatrix Potter fans, brace yourselves, as the beloved English writer’s most famous character is coming to a 50p coin near you.

The Royal Mint has revealed that a new Peter Rabbit coin is launching on Tuesday 19 March – and you can already register to pre-order it online.

It marks the fourth year in a row that the Royal Mint has released a coin set in homage of the late author, the first of which was released in 2016 to celebrate 150 years since Potter’s birth.

Previous characters featured on the coins have included Jeremy Fisher, Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten, the Tailor of Gloucester, Flopsy Bunny and Mrs Tittlemouse.

The first collection contained five different coins but subsequent ones have contained four.

A Peter Rabbit coin has featured in the set every year and always proves hugely popular, with coins depicting the character sold online for as much as £1,000.

For 2018’s offering, the famous rabbit character was depicted eating carrots and in 2017, he was featured happily hopping.

The design and price of this year’s Peter Rabbit coin has yet to be announced – though last year’s coin cost £60 – but fans and collectors are already making educated guesses as to what it could be on the Royal Mint’s Facebook page.

“Hopefully it’s got the owl, fox and badger in these ones,” wrote one person in reference to some of Potter’s other literary characters.