From the release:

Wallace and Gromit would be very proud. Beloved Aardman founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton added a new honor to their big treasure chest of awards and accolades on Friday when they were knighted during King Charles’ birthday honors in London.

The duo founded the stop-motion powerhouse studio in 1972, and produced some of the most acclaimed shorts, series and features of the past few decades, including the Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run franchises, along with creator/director Nick Park.

Also last week, Royal Mint released a 50 pence coin featuring some of Aardman’s familiar characters, including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Morph and Feathers McGraw in honor of the studio’s 50-year anniversary.

Aardman co-founder Peter Lord visited The Royal Mint and struck one of the first examples of the new currency. The coin is available in several editions, including standard t uncirculated versions, color variants, silver proofs, and a limited gold proof edition. Prices begin at £15.

“I’m very proud that the story of Aardman, and the characters we’ve created over the last fifty years, are being celebrated by the work of the Royal Mint,” Lord said in an official statement.

“It was such a pleasure to visit and see for myself, close-up, the amazing care and artistry that goes into making these beautiful coins. In fact, the whole place reminded me of the Aardman studio – both are full of super-talented artists and craftspeople creating timeless work. We love to bring pleasure and fun to our audiences, and these fabulous coins surely represent that joyous spirit.”