Mr Benn's 50th anniversary marked with coin collection
Mr Benn's 50th anniversary is being marked by new 50p coins approved by the Queen.
Guernsey Treasury has released the coins which bear illustrations of the the 1970s cartoon character in some of his most famous adventures, including The Red Knight and The Spaceman.
The collection includes a colourful limited edition official anniversary coin costing £65 which sports a stylised Mr Benn character standing in front of a number 50.
The 50p coins bearing the cartoon’s characteristic black suit and bowler hat start at £6.25, and are available from the Westminster Collection.
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Each episode saw Mr Benn walk into a fancy dress shop only to be transported to an adventure correlating to whatever outfit he had adopted before he eventually returned to his normal life.
The stories began as a children's picture book published in 1967.
Original creator and illustrator David McKee said: "Mr Benn endures, I think, because people like the idea of being able to escape to another life, and at their heart they’re old-fashioned stories which last.
“The elements that make up the films – the voice, the music, the story – all simple elements that endure, good old-fashioned stories, with a good rhythm.”
McKee added: “I often say your characters are like your children – you potty train them and look after them and point them in a good direction, but they go off and do things you don’t expect.
“Mr Benn is living his own life and I’m excited to see what people make of the new products that are coming, and hope a new generation of children enjoy them as much as me.”
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The book was transformed into a popular animated television series first transmitted by the BBC in 1971.
It was aired by the broadcaster for almost 30 years until Nickelodeon UK showed the series for a further nine years until 2010.
In 2017, UK-based animation studio Factory acquired the rights to Mr Benn, allowing the company to grow the classic brand and release a series of 50th anniversary products including the new 50p coins.
With additional reporting by PA.
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