Both the US and UK Dennis the Menace turn 75 this year, and Britain’s Royal Mint has partnered with Beano Studios to produce a special commemorative fifty pence (50p) piece to mark the occasion for their version of the character.
The Royal Mint said via press release,
“The nation’s most iconic prankster has broken out of the pages and landed on an official UK collectable 50p. The Royal Mint in collaboration with Beano have today unveiled a brand new 50p coin celebrating 75 years of Dennis the Menace – and knowing Dennis, he’s already planning what mischief to get up to next.”
The Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin Rebecca Morgan added:
“Dennis the Menace is a true British icon who has been causing mayhem and bringing joy to readers for 75 remarkable years. There’s something wonderfully fitting about this legendary mischief-maker finally making his mark on a collectible 50p and I’m sure Dennis himself would see it as his greatest prank yet.
“This coin captures everything we love about him, that unmistakable mischievous grin, his furry pal Gnasher by his side and that irresistible spirit of rebellion that has made him a favourite across generations. We’re incredibly proud to bring Dennis to life in this way, and we know this coin will be treasured by Beano fans young and old.”
Dennis the Menace (UK) was created by editor George Moonie, artist David Law and sub editor Ian Chisholm, with the name (according to legend) derived from a line in a British music hall ballad. He made his first appearance in British children’s weekly Beano #452 (cover dated March 17, 1951), which coincidentally hit newsstands the same time as Hank Ketcham‘s syndicated US comic strip on March 12, 1951.
Iconically British Dennis is always seen with a distinctive red and black top, chaotic hair, and fiendishly grinning partner in crime (pet) Gnasher the dog. While more recently the antics of this Dennis have been toned down, for decades the British version was considered the most amusingly vindictive and anti-authoritarian of the pair – and a proud bearer of the title “Utter Little $*** “.
Released February 19, the new commemorative coin will come with a specially produced Dennis comic featuring the character visiting The Royal Mint itself. The single full page strip is available as a limited edition £100 ($135) print, signed by present Dennis cartoonist Nigel Parkinson and current Beano editor Craig Graham.
There are several options for this commemorative coin, with the cheapest a regular non-circulation coin priced at £15 ($20) or thirty real world 50p pieces. There is also a colourised version of the same coin (£25) and precious metal editions, in silver-proof (£92.50) and gold-proof (£2,420). Aside from the regular coin, all are in limited editions with the most expensive being a (limited edition of one) 1kg special silver-proof coin priced at £17,217.50 ($23,000)!
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher have proved extremely popular in the UK, becoming the longest serving regular characters in the Beano stable, and cemented in the wider public imagination. Founded in 1938, Beano is published by D.C. Thomson located in Dundee, Scotland and is one of the world’s longest running comic books.
Beyond the printed page, Dennis (UK) has been adapted into other media with multiple animated cartoons making appearances over the years, the most recent being Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! (2017-2021). For his 70th birthday in 2021, the character was issued special stamps by Britain’s Royal Mail.
