Celebrate the excitement of Olympic swimming with the 2011 UK Aquatics 50p coin, issued as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games series. One of 29 designs released to mark the Games, this coin captures the speed and grace of one of the most popular Olympic sports.

The reverse design was created by sculptor Jonathan Olliffe and selected from more than 30,000 public submissions. This is the revised, second issue of the Aquatics design, featuring a clearer depiction of the swimmer’s face without the water lines seen on the earlier version. The design shows a swimmer moving through the water, with flowing lines suggesting motion and rhythm, creating a strong sense of movement across the coin.

Above the design sits the London 2012 Olympic logo, with the denomination ‘50 PENCE’ below. The updated design makes this version particularly notable for collectors interested in variations within the Olympic 50p series.

The obverse features the fourth portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, shown wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, a familiar effigy on UK coinage.

Struck in cupro-nickel to standard 50p specifications, the coin weighs 8 grams and measures 27.30 millimetres in diameter. It features the distinctive seven-sided shape and a plain edge.

With a circulating mintage of 2,179,000, this Aquatics 50p is a sought-after piece, especially as many examples have now been removed from circulation. Issued in 2011, it forms part of a celebrated collection that brought Olympic sport into everyday life, offering a lasting reminder of London 2012 and Britain’s proud sporting moment.

*Image is representative of the coin you will receive 

**Struck for general circulation and subsequently acquired by The Royal Mint from the secondary market.