Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 50 Pence 2011, KM# 1174, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, London 2012 Summer Olympics, Badminton
  • 50 Pence 2011, KM# 1174, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, London 2012 Summer Olympics, Badminton
Description

The 2012 Summer Olympics, formally the Games of the XXX Olympiad and commonly known as London 2012, took place in London and to a lesser extent across the United Kingdom from 25 July to 12 August 2012. During the Games, Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, so that every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games. Women's boxing was included for the first time, thus the Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors. The final medal tally was led by the United States, followed by China and host Great Britain.

Obverse

Fourth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was a wedding present in 1947 from her grandmother, Queen Mary, who received it as a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland in 1893 on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York, later George V. Made by E. Wolfe & Co., it was purchased from Garrard & Co. by a committee organised by Lady Eve Greville. In 1914, Mary adapted the tiara to take 13 diamonds in place of the large oriental pearls surmounting the tiara. At first, Elizabeth wore the tiara without its base and pearls but the base was reattached in 1969. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of Elizabeth's most recognisable pieces of jewellery due to its widespread use on British banknotes and coinage.

ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith.

Engraver: Ian Rank-Broadley

ELIZABETH·II·D·G· REG F·D· 2011
IRB

Reverse

A shuttlecock and a diagram of badminton actions, with the London 2012 logo above and the denomination, "50 PENCE", below.

The badminton tournaments at the 2012 Olympic Games in London took place between 28 July and 5 August at Wembley Arena. A total of 172 athletes competed in five events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. The women's doubles tournament was marred by several disqualifications during the group stage for unethical play. All of the gold medals were won by players from China.

Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). The shuttlecock is a feathered or (in informal matches) plastic projectile which flies differently from the balls used in many other sports. Shuttlecocks have a high top speed compared to the balls in other racquet sports. The game developed in British India from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. The name derives from the Duke of Beaufort's Badminton House in Gloucestershire, but why or when remains unclear.

The London 2012 Summer Olympics logo is four abstract shapes placed in a quadrant formation spelling out "2012". The word "London" is written in the shape representing the "2", while the Olympic rings are placed in the shape representing the "0".

Engraver: Emma Kelly

2012
london
50 PENCE

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 8 g
Diameter 27.3 mm
Thickness 2 mm
Shape polygon
Sides 7
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Mint

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