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The 50p Collector's Series - The London 2012 Sports Collection

Author: Victoria Toothill - Guest Writer

Published: 6 May 2020

Last Updated: 22 Dec 2022

Synopsis

Incredibly popular with collectors, The London 2012 Sports Collection is the Goldilocks of 50p collections. Not too small as to be easily completed, nor too large to take on, 'The Olympics Collection' (as it is more commonly known) is a great way to start collecting. This set of 50p coins is also unique as it is the only 50p collection that was designed entirely by competition winners. In the run up to the London 2012 Olympics, it was decided that 29 Olympic and Paralympic sports would be celebrated. Each of these sports would have their own 50p piece. In 2009, The Royal Mint held a competition where anyone could enter a design for their favourite sport. The prize was £1000 and, of course, the honour of having your design carried around in the pockets of thousands of people across the UK. The toughest of the designs to find is the football 50p but even now you have the chance to find it in your change. So, keep your eyes peeled!

2012 Olympic 50 Pence London Offside Explained Coin

How Does It Work?

For this collection, we have compiled two tables. They both cover all 29 designs that were comissioned to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics. We have arranged them in order of rarity using their mintage number. The first table shows the mintages of circulated coins. These are the coins you might find in your change. The second table shows the mintages of BU coins. The BU coins are very collectable in themselves as they were presented on colourful authentication cards. They are understandably tougher to find as they will need to be swapped or bought but can be very satisfying to collect. Notably, all of these coins were actually released in 2011 in preparation for the games and so bear the date 2011 instead of 2012. 

Beginning with the rarest, this series will explore each coin in The Olympics Collection. We will discuss the coins themselves, the history behind their design and their mintage information. Just click on the coin you would like to learn more about in the table below. 

The Olympic 50 Pence Collection

Here are all editions to the Olympic 50 Pence Collection. Follow the links to find out more about the particular entry. 

Collectable 50 Pence

Date Circulated Coins Mintage
2011 Football 50p 1,125,500
2011 Wrestling 50p 1,129,500
2011 Judo 50p 1,161,500
2011 Triathlon 50p 1,163,500
2011 Tennis 50p 1,454,000
2011 Goalball 50p 1,615,500
2011 Shooting 50p 1,656,500
2011 Taekwondo 50p 1,664,000
2011 Handball 50p 1,676,500
2011 Modern Pentathlon 50p 1,689,500
2011 Rowing 50p 1,717,300
2011 Gymnastics 50p 1,720,813
2011 Table Tennis 50p 1,737,500
2011 Basketball 50p 1,748,000
2011 Sailing 50p 1,749,500
2011 Wheelchair Rugby 50p 1,765,500
2011 Hockey 50p 1,773,500
2011 Weightlifting 50p 1,879,500
2011 Cycling 50p 2,090,500
2011 Fencing 50p 2,115,500
2011 Badminton 50p 2,133,500
2011 Volleyball 50p 2,133,500
2011 Equestrian 50p 2,142,500
2011 Boxing 50p 2,148,500
2011 Boccia 50p 2,166,000
2011 Canoeing 50p 2,166,500
2011 Aquatics 50p 2,179,000
2011 Athletics 50p 2,224,000
2011 Archery 50p 3,345,500
Date Brilliant Uncirculated Coins Mintage
2011 Goalball 50p BU on Card 114,334
2011 Canoeing 50p BU on Card 116,114
2011 Handball 50p BU on Card 117,566
2011 Taekwondo 50p BU on Card 120,210
2011 Wheelchair Rugby 50p BU on Card 121,175
2011 Weightlifting 50p BU on Card 121,778
2011 Table Tennis 50p BU on Card 123,195
2011 Modern Pentathlon 50p BU on Card 123,357
2011 Volleyball 50p BU on Card 124,115
2011 Badminton 50p BU on Card 124,237
2011 Shooting 50p BU on Card 125,398
2011 Boccia 50p BU on Card 126,662
2011 Wrestling 50p BU on Card 127,279
2011 Judo 50p BU on Card 128,442
2011 Hockey 50p BU on Card 130,813
2011 Fencing 50p BU on Card 130,815
2011 Basketball 50p BU on Card 137,157
2011 Sailing 50p BU on Card 138,535
2011 Archery 50p BU on Card 140,195
2011 Rowing 50p BU on Card 140,977
2011 Boxing 50p BU on Card 142,151
2011 Tennis 50p BU on Card 144,535
2011 Equestrian 50p BU on Card 145,122
2011 Gymnastics 50p BU on Card 145,895
2011 Triathlon 50p BU on Card 146,354
2011 Cycling 50p BU on Card 156,872
2011 Aquatics 50p BU on Card 157,990
2011 Athletics 50p BU on Card 168,498
2011 Football 50p BU on Card 188,262
2011 London Olympics 50 Pence Tennis Brilliant Uncirculated

Other Limited Edition Varieties

As well as the colourful BU collectors packs (seen in the picture on the left), there are silver proof and gold Piedfort versions of these coins. We have explored the mintages and quirks of these coins here.

Always More To Collect...

If you've completed the Olympics set or feel ready to start a more comprehensive collection, why not explore our list of the 50p coins currently in circulation?

Or you could try one of our other small collections like The Beatrix Potter Collection or The Dinosauria Collection. These collections are made up of fewer coins and so, although still a competitive market, these can be easier to complete for beginners. See our Collections Page for more options.

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