Gandalf’s Gold

Wizard's gold entered circulation today as Sir Ian McKellen officially launched the Royal Mint's range of commemorative Lord of the Rings coins. Featuring a range of characters and imagery from the trilogy, the coins will be legal tender in New Zealand, home of the films, and is yet another example of how Jackson's adaptation has become a part of the country's national identity. "It's very touching," Sir Ian told Empire Online. "New Zealand's quite a small country and for the 18 months we were filming Lord of the Rings the biggest employer of any industry in the whole country was the film. So everybody knows somebody who was involved in it - you know, had an orc mask on or made some of the scenery. They turn out in their thousands to welcome the films each year, and for the first film they actually changed the name of their capital city to Middle-earth for the day. There is an absolute devotion. " Sir Ian appears in full beard and pointy hat on the 50 cent coin and is decidedly pleased with the way his character's resemblance and the fact that he will soon enter circulation across New Zealand. "I'm delighted with the way Gandalf has been captured. It's a wonderful reflection of the success of the films."