Striking designs – A look at football themed UK coins

EURO 2024 kicked off on 14th June 2024 and England made it all the way to the final! Unfortunately, Spain took the trophy, but in honour of the beautiful game, we’ve taken a look back at some of the UK coins that have been issued to celebrate football.

1996 Football Single Metal £2

The single metal Football £2 was issued in 1996 to celebrate England hosting the 10th European football championships.

Before 1997, £2 coins were struck from a single-coloured, nickel-brass and were mainly produced for collectors and reserved for very special occasions.

The reverse design resembles a football, and is accentuated by an unusual concave surface of the coin. The year of 1996 is prominent, and the sixteen small rings represent the teams who competed in the tournament. Only 5,141,350 1996 Football £2 coins were ever minted.

2011 Olympic Football 50p

In 2011, a year before London hosted the Olympic Games, 29 new 50p coins were issued, each representing a different Olympic sport.

The football 50p was possibly the most publicised of them all, as it features the hotly debated offside rule in the form of a simple diagram. Designer Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist by trade, chose an image which he felt would encapsulate the sport whilst also provoking discussion.

The Olympic Football 50p is also the rarest of the Olympic 50ps with a mintage figure of just 1,125,500.

2022 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup £2

To mark 150 years of the FA Cup, The Royal Mint issued this £2 coin in 2022. Designers Matt Dent and Christian Davies created a design featuring the famed FA Cup Trophy in the centre.

Ribbons on each side of the trophy represent the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup (1871-72) and the 141st season which marked the 150th anniversary (2021-22).

2023 Pride of England £5

In 2022, England won the Woman’s EURO 2022 after beating Germany 2-1. The following year in 2023, the team embarked on their biggest competition to date – the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

To celebrate the Lionesses and their successes, The Royal Mint struck this £5 coin in 2023. The reverse of the coin features the iconic ‘three lions’ emblem in a design by Norman Sillman.

The England team made it to the final of the 2023 World Cup, but unfortunately Spain took home the cup.

An honourable mention…

Although not technically a football coin, the 1997 Three Lions £1 does feature the heraldic three lions design which has become synonymous with English football, so we thought it was worth a mention!

The three lions date back to Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199) who used three golden lions on a scarlet background as a powerful symbol of the English throne.

The design of the 1997 £1, by Norman Sillman, was actually the original design that inspired the 2023 Pride of England £5.


Vote for your favourite football coin

We asked you which of these football themed UK coins is your favourite, and the results are in…with a huge 45.6% of the votes, the 1996 Football £2 won the vote!


Kick off your football collection

To celebrate England making it to the EURO 2024 Final, you can own the Pride of England £5 is Limited Edition Finalists Display Card for just £12.50 (+p&p) >>

England’s Lionesses Celebrated on the NEW Pride of England UK £5 

2023 sees the return of one of the most captivating and empowering sporting events in the world. And to celebrate England’s incredible team of Lionesses, The Royal Mint have struck a brand new UK £5 coin.

2023 Pride of England £5
2023 Pride of England £5

The Lionesses’ journey so far

Since their first international match in 1972, the England women’s football team has gone from strength to strength.  

The rising popularity of women’s football reached new heights in 2022 when England became European Champions. The dynamic squad, including the likes of Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and Ella Toone, took home the trophy after their unforgettable win against Germany.  

2022 Women's Euro 2022 winners
2022 Women’s Euro 2022 winners
Credit: BBC News

This year, the Lionesses embark on their biggest competition to date, and to commemorate the event, the Pride of England £5 has been struck. 

Three lions on the coin…

The 2023 UK Pride of England £5 proudly celebrates the team and their successes with a design by sculptor Norman Sillman. Three emblematic lions can be seen on the reverse design, representing the nation’s heraldic history. 

2023 Pride of England £5
2023 Pride of England £5

The design may look familiar, and that’s because these heraldic lions also appeared on UK £1 coins in 1997. In fact, they date back to Richard the Lionheart who used three golden lions on a scarlet background as a powerful symbol of the English throne.  

A must have for football fans

Demand for this coin is sure to be huge, as it not only appeals to coin collectors, but will also be highly sought after by British sport enthusiasts and football fans. The 2023 UK Pride of England £5 is the perfect keepsake for those who appreciate the rich history and cultural impact of women’s football.   

A history of football coins

2022 UK FA Cup £2

The FA Cup £2 was issued to mark 150 years of the FA Cup. The reverse design by Matt Dent and Christian Davies featured the famed FA Cup trophy, representing one of the greatest football knockout tournaments in the world.

This coin proved incredibly popular with collectors, with the limited edition specifications selling out at The Royal Mint within just hours of release. 

2022 FA Cup £2
2022 FA Cup £2

2011 Olympic Football 50p

2011 Olympic Football 50p
2011 Olympic Football 50p

Released as part of the Royal Mint’s 2012 Olympic 50p series, this coin was dedicated to football.

It was possibly the most publicised Olympic 50p, as it features the hotly debated offside rule in the form of a simple diagram. Designer Neil Wolfson chose the image to represent the sport and provoke discussion.  

Secure your 2023 UK Pride of England Certified BU £5

Your 2023 UK Pride of England £5 coin is presented in official Change Checker packaging, so it’s safely preserved for generations to come. Secure yours >>  

Official UK £2 coin celebrates 150 years of the FA Cup!

Can you work out the connection between these three events?

  • In 2011, Yaya Toure’s 76th minute goal led Manchester City to seal their first major trophy in 35 years.
  • The 1999 semi-final had one of the best solo goals in history, played between two of the biggest rivals in footballs.
  • Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0 in the 2002 final.

These are some of the very best moments in FA Cup History!

Producing hometown heroes, as underdogs play alongside Premier League giants, these unforgettable moments unite football fans, making the FA Cup one of the greatest knockout tournaments in the world.

The 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup 2022 £2 coin

This year, to celebrate a remarkable 150 years of the FA Cup, a brand new UK £2 coin has been issued featuring the famed FA Cup Trophy.

An absolute must-have for collectors and fans of the beautiful game alike, this is the perfect keepsake to commemorate such an incredible anniversary in football history.

Your 2022 UK 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup £2 coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging to preserve it for generations to come.

You can secure this brand new coin for your collection for just £9.50 (+p&p) >>

With a one of the largest fan-bases in the UK, football memorabilia is in high demand by collectors all over the world.

We’ve even seen huge popularity for Football themed coins in the past. Continue reading to find out our top UK coins that have celebrated this fantastic sport…

Olympic Football 50p

In 2012, the release of the Olympic 50p series kick-started a collecting frenzy across the nation.

It’s estimated that around 75% of these coins have been removed from circulation by collectors which means they are incredibly sought-after, especially considering these 50ps have some of the lowest mintage figures in circulation…

Many of the Olympic 50ps have a mintage less than 2,000,000 with the rarest being the Olympic Football 50p. This coin has a mintage of just 1,125,500!

It features a design of the hotly debated off-side rule, represented by a simple diagram. Designer Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist by trade, chose an image which he felt would encapsulate the sport whilst also provoke discussion.

Have you been lucky enough to find this sought-after coin in your collection? Let us know in the comments below!

1996 Football £2

Before 1997, £2 coins were struck from a single-coloured, nickel-brass and were mainly produced for collectors and reserved for very special occasions.

Between 1986 and 1996, only seven commemorative £2 coins were issued and this 1996 Football £2 was one of them.

The Euros of ’96 was such a significant occasion that The Royal Mint issued this coin “in celebration of football”.

The reverse design resembles a football, and is accentuated by the unusual concave surface of the coin. The year of 1996 is prominent on the design and the sixteen small rings represent the sixteen teams competing in the tournament. Only 5,141,350 were ever minted.

1996 saw England play host to the 10th European Football Championship and the eventual winners of the competition were Germany who knocked out the hosts in the semi-finals.

Do you remember seeing this £2 coin when it was first issued? Perhaps you even have it in your collection! Let us know in the comments below.


I think you can agree that Football-themed coins have a reputation for being incredibly sought-after amongst collectors. With this brand new £2 coin celebrating such a significant anniversary, it’s sure to be popular.


Secure the The 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup 2022 £2 coin for your collection!

Your 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup 2022 £2 coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging to preserve for generations to come.

An absolute must-have for collectors and fans of the beautiful game alike, this is the perfect keepsake to commemorate such an incredible anniversary in football history.

Secure yours for JUST £9.50 (+p&p) by clicking here >>