The Royal Mint has chosen Beatrix Potter's thieving Peter Rabbit as the first character from children's literature ever to appear on a UK coin. Peter, pictured in the blue jacket that he is forced to abandon in the garden of Mr McGregor when he is caught stealing vegetables, is captured on a special, coloured edition of a 50p coin available from now. The Royal Mint, which described Peter as "the most recognizable of Potter's creations, and one of the most cherished from children's literature", will release uncoloured versions of the coin in change later this year. Three more of Potter's characters will also be committed to currency later this year, as part of celebrations marking 150 years since the children's author's birth. The images have been created by coin designer Emma Noble, who said it was "amazing to be given the opportunity to work with such famous and treasured literary characters". Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit, featuring Peter and his better-behaved siblings   Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, was the first of her stories to be published, released in 1902 by Frederick Warne & Co. Potter would go on to follow it with a series of much-loved stories which remain popular today, from The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin to The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. According to the passage, the coins will be released by the Royal Mint to  _  .
celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Peter Rabbit celebrate the first publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit promote the sales of Beatrix Potter's works