The eyes of the world are on London as we prepare to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Opening Ceremony will take place on 27 July 2012 and they will, indeed, be 'magical Games'.
This is your opportunity to celebrate and record this momentous event in sporting history with an exclusive, limited-edition series of four UK £5 coins to be released in turn during the countdown years. You may already have the first coin issued in 2009 – the 2010 coin is now available.
The 2010 £5 Countdown Coin is the second in the countdown series. Following the style of the 2009 coin, this coin represents Athletics featuring a dynamic image of competing runners racing for the finishing line and the coveted gold medal. Also featured is the second countdown number, '2', representing two years to the great event, and the London 2012 Olympic logo in full colour. The reverses have been created by Royal Mint engraver Claire Aldridge while, like all legal tender UK coins, the obverses feature the portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.
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On 27 July 2012, London will proudly unveil the Games of the 30th Olympiad to the world – the first time the city has hosted the Olympic Games for over 60 years.
To commemorate this momentous event, the Royal Mint has commissioned an exclusive and highly collectable series of four superb £5 coins, to be released in limited numbers. The four reverses have all been designed by Claire Aldridge and she has ensured that the companion coins will complement one another beautifully each featuring a border symbolising a bird's eye view of the new stadium, a countdown 'clock' and the London 2012 logo which, on the gold coins, is highlighted in colour.
The first coin, dated 2009, depicts the sport of Swimming with the figure '3' overlaid to denote the first year of the countdown. The second coin, dated 2010, focuses on Athletics with the figure '2' overlaid.
The third coin will be available in 2011 and will feature the sport of Cycling with the figure '1' overlaid. The final coin pictures the ultimate dream of every Olympian, picturing the three triumphant medallists on the winners’ podium.