Product Information

The design on the reverse of the £2 coin is by Royal Mint engraver, Thomas T Docherty. The central feature of his design includes 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 along the outer ring. The edge inscription, THE 4TH OLYMPIAD LONDON, completes the reverse design of the 22 carat yellow and red gold Proof coin, while the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS appears on the obverse. Only 1,908 gold Proof coins will be available presented in a beautiful walnut coloured wooden case bearing the new Royal Mint emblem in gold on its lid. The individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity, attesting to the coin's strict specifications and low worldwide issue limit, fits neatly into the black lined interior of the lid.

Background & History

Thomas Docherty's product design training began in 1998 at the Glasgow Metropolitan College and continued at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, from 2001 to 2003 during which time he won the Design for Manufacture Award. He has participated in a workshop in France with the Milan-based designer, James Irvine, and has exhibited at New Designers in London. Having joined the Royal Mint's team of skilled engravers in 2005, Thomas Docherty has since become a fully qualified engraver and has been a finalist in a number of United Kingdom coin design competitions. His winning design for the £2 coin of 2008, his first United Kingdom coin design, is a tremendous accomplishment for a young designer and an achievement of which he is very proud.

'On designing the 1908 £2 coin I focused more on the ethos of the Olympic Games rather than London. I wanted to use an iconic image of the Games, which I initially found difficult due to the number of events. After further research, I discovered that track events featured predominantly. By using the track image I could create a dynamic perspective that acts as a timeline from 1908 to the London Games of 2012. The lettering style is a direct reference to the original 1908 Prize Medal which acts as a way of marrying the old and the new.'

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. Since then the Games have become the greatest international celebration of sport.

The 1908 Games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome, but with the eruption in 1906 of Mount Vesuvius and the resulting devastation to the nearby city of Naples, the funds already raised for the Games had to be diverted to the city's reconstruction. At very short notice London staged a very successful Olympic Games that set new standards for those to come.

The 1908 Olympic Games were the first to be held in London and were a significant milestone in the history of the Games. For the occasion a purpose-built stadium was constructed, the first time that a stadium had been specially built for the Olympic Games. Considered to be a technological marvel, White City Stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London, boasted a capacity of well over 100,000 and was then the largest stadium in the world. It was officially opened by His Majesty King Edward VII on 27 April 1908 and ended in October making them the longest Games in Olympic history.