Royal Mint to release Star Wars coins to celebrate 40th anniversary of ‘Return of the Jedi’

Commemorative coins to mark the 40th anniversary of the third Star Wars film are set to be released by the Royal Mint.

The four-coin collection will celebrate Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi which was released in 1983 starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.

Characters from the film including robots C-3PO and R2-D2 will be the first to feature on the 50p coins as part of the four-coin collection. It will be the first time characters from the sci-fi series feature on an official UK coin.

Other coins will feature Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, the villainous Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine and Han Solo and Chewbacca.

Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint, said the company is “delighted to launch an out-of-this-world collection to celebrate” and “enthuse new and existing coin collectors across the world, as well as Star Wars’ thriving fan base, both in the United Kingdom and internationally.”

Experienced coin designer Ffion Gwillim has brought the characters to life by working in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company combining traditional minting techniques with cutting-edge technology.

The Royal Mint’s craftspeople have been able to reproduce R2-D2 and C-3PO in colour for the first time on the coins.

Each coin in the Star Wars collection features a special lenticular feature which reveals symbols when tilted in the light. The intricate designs were imprinted onto the coins using an advanced picosecond laser to ensure accuracy and create an additional special effect.

The lenticular feature on the first coin in the collection features both Tatooine and the Rebel Alliance “Starbird” logo.

The first coin in the collection celebrating the characters from Star Wars comes in a 50p and ounce range.

It will be available to purchase at 9am on the Royal Mint’s website on 10 July.