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The 4th Olympiad London Anniversary £2 Coin
The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens in 1896, the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin. His dream was to bring together people of the world in a spirit of friendly competition where leading athletes could strive for victory and personal excellence. The Olympic Games have become the greatest sporting event in the world. The first time they were held in London was in 1908 at a purpose-built stadium in White City, London. The centenary of those Games therefore falls in 2008, and a commemorative £2 coin has been produced to celebrate the sporting achievements of the athletes who competed at those Games.
The design that graces the reverse is by Royal Mint engraver, Thomas T Docherty, who chose as the central feature of his design a running track, an image that is readily associated with the Olympic Games. The anniversary date of 1908 is positioned within the track, with the words LONDON OLYMPIC CENTENARY encircling the design. The incuse edge inscription, THE 4TH OLYMPIAD LONDON, completes the design.
The Royal Arms £1 Coin
The original reverse design of the £1 coin, introduced into circulation in 1983, bore the Royal Arms with lion and unicorn supporters, a symbol of the Queen's sovereignty over the whole of the United Kingdom. This finely detailed depiction of the Royal Arms was created by Eric Sewell, a former Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint, and appears once again on the £1 coin on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The whole is surrounded by 100 beads reflecting the 100 pennies that make up £1. On the edge of the coin is the cross-crosslet mintmark of Llantrisant and the Latin inscription DECUS ET TUTAMEN, meaning 'an ornament and a safeguard' which first appeared on the edge of coins of Charles II to deter the unscrupulous practice of clipping and shaving precious metal from the coins.