No joke, a box of Christmas crackers that costs £5,000

THE Royal Mint has launched Britain’s most expensive Christmas cracker, with a solid gold bar and gold diamond necklace.

A pack of six of the crackers will cost £5,000 and will also include a traditional hat and joke.

They are the most expensive crackers sold by any UK retailer. Fortnum and Mason has previously sold sets for about £500.

The Mint is expected to be inundated with demand from wealthy individuals and the items will form part of its first gift range in its thousand-year history that launches today.

The range initially includes a total of 58 pieces, ranging from a sixpence spoon set, to silver hallmarked cufflinks, and a gold teddy bear. Other products include silk scarves and an forthcoming range of wallets and other leather goods.

The company will also release a 2018 advent calendar, which tells the story of The Nutcracker, with a chocolate coin behind each window, including an official Nutcracker Christmas £5 coin behind the final door.

Lisa Stevens, head of gifting, said: “Our new collection includes some premium gold and silver pieces which we believe will make the perfect gift this Christmas and be treasured for years to come.”

The Royal Mint employs more than 900 people who produce 90 million coins and blanks a week – almost five billion coins a year – and hopes the gift range will help to modernise it.