United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 5 Pounds

History

5 Pounds 2009, KM# 1121a, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, London 2012 Summer Olympics Countdown, 3 Years To Go, Swimming

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

This is the first of four coins issued by the Royal Mint for the London 2012 Summer Olympics Countdown and the first UK £5 coins to feature the Olympic rings and logo in full colour. It marks the start of the 3, 2, 1 countdown to London 2012 and represents the sport of Swimming.

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	Crown, jewelry Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II 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 IRB FIVE POUNDS
Reverse	Colorised Sport, Olympics Swimming, Olympic emblem, Stadium Two swimmers as faceted figures, accompanied by the number "3", with a section of a clock-face to the right and the color blue London 2012 logo to the left. The reverse design is surrounded by a plan view of the main Olympic Stadium, incorporating the date "2009" on the right-hand side, with the word "COUNTDOWN" above and the inscription "XXX OLYMPIAD" below. 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: Claire Aldridge COUNTDOWN 2 0 0 9 3 london TM CA XXX OLYMPIAD
Edge	Reeded (milled)