Posts Tagged ‘olympic coin’
Olympic Gold Medallist Signs Team GB 50ps for Change Checker!
2024 is shaping up to be an unforgettable Summer of Sport, as our Team GB athletes secured an incredible 65 medals – including 14 Golds – in the Olympic Games in Paris.
And it doesn’t stop there, as next week we look forward to the Paralympic Games and cheer on our ParalympicsGB team in their quest for sporting success.
Team GB 50ps going for gold
*** SOLD OUT IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS ***
We’ve certainly got Olympic Fever here at Change Checker HQ, so you can imagine just how excited we were to team up with none other than a 2024 Gold Medallist to sign the Team GB 50p coins!
Not just a Gold Medallist, but the man chosen to be the Team GB flag bearer at the Paris 2024 closing ceremony!
I’m talking about the incredible Triathlon Gold Medal winner, Alex Yee.
You’ll remember that he was the man falling further and further behind the leader during the Triathlon, with commentators concerned he might not be able to hold on to silver, only to put on the burners and win an incredible gold medal!
We joined forces with Alex to bring you the exclusive Signed 2024 UK Team GB 50p.
Alex Yee has just finished signing the first few pieces over in America where he’s also won the Supertri Boston Triathlon!
SOLD OUT in 90 minutes
Just 500 signed Team GB 50ps will ever be available, and they SOLD OUT in just 90 minutes on pre-order!
Alex Yee’s unforgettable triumph in Paris has already secured his place among Britain’s sporting greats and 500 lucky collectors now own a tangible memory of this historic moment.
Can you think of a better way of owning the official UK Team GB 50p than it being signed by our flag bearer and Olympic Gold Medallist?
And, as well as looking ahead to the start of the Paralympic Games next week, these coins are the perfect way to celebrate Britain’s sporting success this summer.
Missed out?
If you weren’t one of the lucky 500 collectors to secure a signed Team GB 50p, fear not! You can still secure a piece of Olympic history, with the Limited Edition Signed Olympic Print.
Signed by five of Britain’s most legendary Olympic Gold Medallists: Sebastian Coe, Duncan Goodhew, Tessa Sanderson, Daley Thompson, and Allan Wells – this is a true collectors item!
UK 50p issued to wish Team GB and ParalympicsGB luck in the 2024 Paris Olympics!
As excitement for the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games builds, The Royal Mint have issued a new UK 50p to celebrate Team GB and ParalympicsGB. The 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p not only commemorates our athletes’ dedication and achievements, but also represents the unity and pride of the United Kingdom as the teams prepare to complete on the world stage.
Return to Paris
The Olympic Games will return to Paris in 2024, exactly 100 years since the city last hosted the games. The Paralympics will also be held in Paris for the first time this year, making the games the biggest sporting event ever held in France.
Credit: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Did you know? The Ancient Olympic Games have been dated as far back as 776 BC, however the first modern international Summer Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, where 14 nations competed in 9 sports.
A tribute to excellence
You may recognise this coin as it actually featured in the 2024 Annual Coin set at the beginning of the year, however its now been individually issued.
In the centre of the design are two geometric athletes in action – one representing Team GB, the other representing ParalympicsGB – set against the iconic Union Jack. If you look closely, you’ll even see the Eiffel Tower at the bottom of the design, a nod to the hosting city.
This powerful imagery highlights Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s strength and resilience, along with the nation’s unwavering support.
A history of Olympic coins
The 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p isn’t the first UK coin to be issued celebrating the Olympics, but it is the first UK sporting 50p to feature King Charles III on the obverse.
2011 Olympic 50ps
Perhaps the most well-known commemorative 50p series was issued in 2011 when 29 new coins were released, each representing a different Olympic sport.
The Olympic 50p series created a frenzy, and not just among collectors…millions rose to the challenge of collecting all 29, and for many, this marked the start of their interest in coins. So popular were these 50ps, that The Royal Mint estimates as many as 75% of them have been removed from circulation by collectors!
2016 Team GB 50p
To the delight of many Olympic 50p collectors, The Royal Mint issued a special 50p in 2016 to wish Team GB success for the Rio Olympic Games.
The coin’s obverse features a swimmer with the Team GB logo, the Olympic rings and the inscription ‘TEAM GB’. Designed by Tim Sharp, the coin was officially endorsed by Team GB and celebrated the spirit of British Olympians.
Dual-Dated Team GB 50p
Back in 2020, a new Team GB 50p was released as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set to celebrate Team GB’s participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the Olympic Games to 2021, this 50p was never individually released in 2020…
Excitingly, this meant that there were two versions of the coin – one with the obverse dated 2020 from the 2020 Annual Coin Set and one with the obverse dated 2021 from the coin’s individual release, making it one of only a small handful of UK 50ps to feature a dual-date.
Secure the 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p
Click here to add the 2024 Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p to your collection for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>
Vote for your all-time favourite circulating QEII 50p
As the Pride 50p marks the last UK coin to enter circulation with QEII’s portrait on the obverse, we asked you to vote for your top circulating QEII 50p!
King Charles III’s new coinage will begin circulating from December – starting with the brand new Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p. So, it’s the perfect time to look back at an astonishing 70 years of top QEII 50p issues.
From the UK’s rarest 50p (Kew Gardens), to the biggest range of sporting coins (Olympic 50ps), it’s understandably a hard task to pick a favourite.
Your top circulating QEII 50p!
The results are in! Your top circulating QEII 50p is…
2017 Sir Isaac Newton 50p
Issued in 2017, this coin has a mintage of just 1,801,500, ranking it as less common on our Scarcity Index.
The reverse of this striking coin is based on elements of Proposition 11, in Book One of Newton’s Principia Mathematica.
P.S. did you know Newton is one of the most famous figures to ever hold the role of Master of the Mint?
2011 WWF 50p
Coming in very close second, is the WWF 50p.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the largest conservation organisation in the world.
They focus their work on saving endangered species and conserving the world’s most precious natural places.
In 2011, to mark their 50th anniversary, The Royal Mint issued this 50p coin.
It features 50 different icons to represent the variety of work they’re involved with.
2009 Kew Gardens 50p
In third spot, is the UK’s rarest 50p coin, the Kew Gardens.
Just 210,000 of these 50ps entered circulation, and over 13 years later, it’s still one of the most sought-after coins EVER.
It repeatedly takes top spot on our Scarcity Index, with collectors keen to add it to their collection.
However, it’s important to know the difference between a real, fake, or re-issued Kew Gardens.
Get the First King Charles III Effigy Collecting Pack
9.6 million King Charles 50ps are set to enter circulation. So, collectors stand a very good chance of getting their hands on this new release.
Once you’ve found this coin in your change you can add it to the pack, creating the perfect pair of KCIII first effigy coins!
Secure your Change Checker King Charles III First Effigy Collecting Pack here >>
So, get ready to start your hunt for the new 50p in your change!