Celebrate the excitement and challenge of Olympic canoeing with the 2011 UK Canoeing 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 skill and determination required to compete on fast-moving water.

The reverse design was created by Timothy Lees, a stone carver and member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, and selected from more than 30,000 public submissions. His design depicts an athlete navigating a canoe slalom course, with gates and flowing water clearly illustrated. The scene conveys movement and precision, reflecting the demands of the sport as competitors guide their canoe through challenging rapids.

Above the design sits the London 2012 Olympic logo, with the denomination ‘50 PENCE’ below. The detailed composition and sense of motion make it a distinctive addition to the Olympic 50p collection.

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 characteristic seven-sided shape and a plain edge.

With a circulating mintage of 2,166,500, the Canoeing 50p is a popular piece within the London 2012 series. Issued in 2011, it forms part of a celebrated collection that brought Olympic sport into everyday circulation, offering collectors a lasting reminder of the energy and achievement of the Games.

*Image is representative of the coin you will receive 

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