Product Information

The £2 coin for 2008, struck in honour of the centenary of the London Olympic Games of 1908, displays on its reverse the commemorative design specially created by Royal Mint engraver Thomas T Docherty for this celebration. Produced to Brilliant Uncirculated standard, each coin is presented in a beautifully illustrated folder giving a brief history the Olympic Games from ancient Greece to the present day, including stories of some of the athletes of the 1908 Games.

The obverse bears the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

Background & History

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.