More than 40,000 stolen coins based on the hit children’s TV show Bluey have been recovered by police in Australia.
New South Wales Police said officers searched a self-storage facility in Wentworthville and found a haul of Royal Australian Mint bags containing the cartoon currency.
Earlier this year, the mint produced coins featuring characters from the animated programme worth one Australian dollar (50p in the UK). They are considered legal tender.
On 12 July, police said 63,000 of the limited edition coins had been stolen from a warehouse in Wetherill Park, New South Wales, months before they were due to enter circulation.
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The Bluey phenomenon
More than 40,000 limited edition Bluey coins were recovered by police. Pic: Rex
The coins are worth one Australian dollar and are considered legal tender. Pic: AP
In July, 63,000 of the coins were stolen from a warehouse in Wetherill Park. Pic: AP
Known as Bluey Dollarbucks, they have been sold for as much as 10 times their face value online, and one eBay seller offered a pack of three for almost 600 Australian dollars (£309).
In total, 40,061 of the stolen coins were recovered by Strike Force Bandit – a police unit investigating the theft, named after Bluey’s dad in the show – on Tuesday.
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Officers also said they seized power tools, clothing items, and bags from the storage facility, which they said are all believed to have been stolen.
So far, three people have been charged for their alleged involvement in the July warehouse robbery.
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Now one of the most popular shows in the world, Bluey first premiered in Australia in 2018 and began streaming in the UK on Disney+ in 2020.
In April, a producer on the show reassured fans there will be more episodes of Bluey after a cryptic season-ending left parents worried the show would be cancelled.
Sam Moor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme at the time: “It’s just the question that’s on everyone’s lips – no it’s not the end for Bluey, I’m sure we’ve got many more surprises in store for you.”