Sanrio's hugely popular mascot character Hello Kitty is getting a limited edition coin of some seriously high value, celebrating her 50th birthday in style.
Hello Kitty will be getting a new gold coin to celebrate her 50th anniversary, via Sanrio's official Japanese website. The large Hello Kitty coin features a Shinkansen train in Japan, with pink details and other Sanrio characters including My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, Kuromi, and Little Twin Stars. According to Sanrio, the coin is made from 99.99% pure cold rolled steel and measures 5 centimeters in diameter. Despite its physical value of just $100 (Cook Island/New Zealand dollars), it costs a whopping 657,800 yen, or about $4,573 USD. Pre-orders will begin on September 19 at 10 a.m. Japan time. You can see images of the coin and more information below.
Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Gold Coin Released for Pre-Order
These coins can be ordered through the Premico Online Store website, meaning overseas fans will need to use a trusted authorized shipping service. It has been revealed that only 500 coins will be released, along with an acrylic stand to display them. Shipments will begin in sequence from early March 2025. The coin is revealed: “A large gold coin has been released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty! The coin features a fun design depicting the ‘Hello Kitty Shinkansen’ currently running between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, with Kitty in a cute pose. Also, note the characters wearing matching headbands. The coin is made of the highest quality .9999 pure gold and is a large coin measuring 50mm in diameter. Only 500 coins were released by the Cook Islands, which is famous for their artistic commemorative coins. Enjoy displaying the coin on the included acrylic stand inspired by the 'Hello Kitty Shinkansen'”.
Hello Kitty has collaborated with many of the world's biggest brands and organizations for its milestone 50th anniversary year, from the United Nations to the release of McDonald's toys, a Uniqlo clothing collection featuring Kitty and Kuromi, and more. The brand recently welcomed a new Sanrio Smile Store and Hello Kitty Cafe at Universal CityWalk, following its continued franchise expansion in North America, including the first Hello Kitty Cafe in Canada this year.
Hello Kitty was designed by Yuko Shimizu in 1973, who recently shared that her first appearance was “on a small wallet — a small wallet that was sold with six other characters.” She continued, “However, because Hello Kitty sold so well, the company decided to focus on developing it further, and that's when the character got its name.” Since then, she has become one of the world's biggest IPs, worth billions of dollars.
Source: Premico Online Store via Sanrio
