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July 31 is known by wizards, witches, and Muggles around the world as Harry Potter’s birthday. The date of birth for the titular protagonist of fantasy book and movie series Harry Potter is July 31, 1980. As fans of the Harry Potter universe created by author J.K. Rowling surely know, the “Boy Who Lived” was born Harry James Potter to parents James and Lily Potter; the former was a pure-blood wizard and the latter a Muggle-born, both of whom attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and both belonging to the Gryffindor house.
As the story goes, on October 31, 1981, when Harry was just 15 months old, he improbably survived a curse by he-who-shall-not-be-named (Lord Voldemort) that did both of his parents in while they were trying to protect their infant son. Over the next decade, he was raised an orphan by his abusive aunt and uncle and only learns that he’s a wizard on his 11th birthday, when he receives an acceptance letter from Hogwarts and learns about the terrible fate of his parents at the hands of Lord Voldemort.
This is where the action really begins ramping up in the books and movies – stories that have captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of all ages all around the world since the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was released to rave reviews on June 26, 1997. The world of Harry Potter has inspired the production of many collectibles that pay homage to this fantasy franchise that – like other popular once-in-a-generation pop-culture phenomena (such as L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz books in the 1900s, Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse character in the 1920s, Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip in the 1950s, and George Lucas’ original Star Wars film trilogy in the 1970s and early ‘80s), seems to show no signs of aging.
Among those collector items are coins, and there are many, many coins emblazoned with the likenesses of Harry Potter characters. A bevy of coins hailing from Great Britain, the Isle of Man, France, Australia, Niue, and beyond, showcase themes that honor the Harry Potter series. Collectors can have their choice! And with a menagerie of coins to collect, it’s entirely possible for numismatists – and especially fans of the series – to build a collection exclusively based around the existing medley of Harry Potter-themed coins while purchasing those surely yet to come.