UK 50p issued to wish Team GB and ParalympicsGB luck in the 2024 Paris Olympics!
As excitement for the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games builds, The Royal Mint have issued a new UK 50p to celebrate Team GB and ParalympicsGB. The 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p not only commemorates our athletes’ dedication and achievements, but also represents the unity and pride of the United Kingdom as the teams prepare to complete on the world stage.
Return to Paris
The Olympic Games will return to Paris in 2024, exactly 100 years since the city last hosted the games. The Paralympics will also be held in Paris for the first time this year, making the games the biggest sporting event ever held in France.
Credit: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Did you know? The Ancient Olympic Games have been dated as far back as 776 BC, however the first modern international Summer Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, where 14 nations competed in 9 sports.
A tribute to excellence
You may recognise this coin as it actually featured in the 2024 Annual Coin set at the beginning of the year, however its now been individually issued.
In the centre of the design are two geometric athletes in action – one representing Team GB, the other representing ParalympicsGB – set against the iconic Union Jack. If you look closely, you’ll even see the Eiffel Tower at the bottom of the design, a nod to the hosting city.
This powerful imagery highlights Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s strength and resilience, along with the nation’s unwavering support.
A history of Olympic coins
The 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p isn’t the first UK coin to be issued celebrating the Olympics, but it is the first UK sporting 50p to feature King Charles III on the obverse.
2011 Olympic 50ps
Perhaps the most well-known commemorative 50p series was issued in 2011 when 29 new coins were released, each representing a different Olympic sport.
The Olympic 50p series created a frenzy, and not just among collectors…millions rose to the challenge of collecting all 29, and for many, this marked the start of their interest in coins. So popular were these 50ps, that The Royal Mint estimates as many as 75% of them have been removed from circulation by collectors!
2016 Team GB 50p
To the delight of many Olympic 50p collectors, The Royal Mint issued a special 50p in 2016 to wish Team GB success for the Rio Olympic Games.
The coin’s obverse features a swimmer with the Team GB logo, the Olympic rings and the inscription ‘TEAM GB’. Designed by Tim Sharp, the coin was officially endorsed by Team GB and celebrated the spirit of British Olympians.
Dual-Dated Team GB 50p
Back in 2020, a new Team GB 50p was released as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set to celebrate Team GB’s participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the Olympic Games to 2021, this 50p was never individually released in 2020…
Excitingly, this meant that there were two versions of the coin – one with the obverse dated 2020 from the 2020 Annual Coin Set and one with the obverse dated 2021 from the coin’s individual release, making it one of only a small handful of UK 50ps to feature a dual-date.
Secure the 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p
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