Coin marks 150 years since Alice in Wonderland sequel

A new £5 coin featuring Tweedledum and Tweedledee has been launched by The Royal Mint.

It commemorates 150 years since Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, which was the sequel of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

The coin - the second featuring characters from the book - shows the moment Alice runs into the mischievous pair.

Welsh artist Ffion Gwillim said it was an "honour" to design them.

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The first coin, which showed Alice meeting the Cheshire Cat, was released last month.

Both designs were based on the Sir John Tenniel's original illustrations of the book and were created by Ms Gwillim and sculptor Emma Noble.

The coin depicts the iconic moment Alice meets the mischievous twins

Ms Gwillim said: "It is such a huge honour to design the official Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass commemorative coin.

"As a designer at the Royal Mint, it is the ultimate achievement, and this project was particularly exciting for me as I grew up with these stories - they evoke fantastic childhood memories for me and so many others - and I've loved every minute."

Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: "I'm sure the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland range will become a popular choice for collectors, capturing the imagination of people of all ages."

The release of a £5 coin is typically reserved for significant royal events.

They have only every been commemorative in the UK, with the first for the Queen's mother in 1990, and there have been over 100.

However, some of the coins include historical anniversaries, such as 500 years since Henry VIII accession to the throne, the Olympic Games 2012, and the Tales of Peter Rabbit.