SYDNEY, Australia (WKRC) – A man has been charged for stealing almost $400,000 worth of unreleased collectable coins featuring characters from the children’s TV show “Bluey.”
According to police, a man stole 64,000 unreleased $1 coins themed after the “Bluey” TV show from the warehouse where he worked.
The coins were set to enter circulation in September, but early secondhand sales are going for up to 10 times the $1 value.
Police said most of the coins were sold online mere hours after they were stolen from the warehouse. It took the company multiple days to even realize the coins were missing .
Authorities arrested 47-year-old Steven john Neilson following a raid on the man’s home.
Officers have reportedly recovered around 1,000 coins, but believe the remaining 63,000 are already in circulation.
“Bluey” is a widely popular children’s cartoon that started in Australia but has since found success internationally, including in the United States.
In 2023 alone, viewers streamed 20 billion minutes of “Bluey” across the show’s 150 episodes.
