Olympic Athletics 50p

Summary of Value & Key Facts

The 2011 Athletics 50p (often called the “High Jump 50p”) is part of the 29-coin London 2012 Olympic sports series. With a circulation mintage just over 2.2 million, it is a less common modern 50p, and demand from set builders gives it a healthy premium over face value in nicer grades.

Core specifications and guide values for the standard 2011 circulating Athletics 50p.

The Athletics 50p is one of the most recognisable London 2012 designs, and has a built-in story thanks to its school-age designer. It is a key mid-tier coin for collectors completing the full Olympic 50p run.

• Commemorative theme: Issued as one of 29 designs celebrating the sports of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Athletics is at the heart of the Games, covering track and field events from sprints to high jump and distance running.
• Design: The reverse shows a high jumper arching over the bar, upside down, with the London 2012 logo above and the denomination “50 PENCE” below. The layout gives a sense of movement and uses the bar as a strong horizontal line across the coin.
• Youngest UK coin designer: Florence Jackson was just nine when her design was chosen from over 17,000 entries in a Blue Peter competition, making this coin historically significant in UK coin design as well as an Olympic commemorative.
• 2009 Blue Peter vs 2011 circulation coin:
  • The rare 2009 “Blue Peter” Athletics 50p carries the date 2009 and was only issued in special Blue Peter presentation packs (around 19,700 pieces). It did not enter general circulation.
  • The 2011 Athletics 50p covered by this card is the normal circulating coin, dated 2011, with a mintage of 2,224,000. Both share the same high-jump design, but the dates and scarcity are different.
• Rarity in context: With just over 2.2 million struck, Athletics is classed as “less common” on most scarcity indexes – noticeably scarcer than very high-mintage commemoratives, but not at the extreme rarity level of coins like Kew Gardens or the Blue Peter 2009 edition.
• Circulating vs collector versions:
  • Circulated: Found in change, usually with some wear and contact marks. Perfectly suitable for a circulation-quality Olympic set.
  • Brilliant Uncirculated (BU): Sold in individual Royal Mint sports cards and Olympic starter sets. These show full lustre and sharp detail, and are the preferred option for higher-grade collections.
  • Proof and silver sets: Proof versions exist in special Olympic collections, aimed at more specialist collectors and sitting in a higher price bracket.
• Collecting tip: For circulation coins, look for strong detail on the jumper’s body, bar and track, and a clear London 2012 logo with minimal scratches in the background. For BU or proof examples, original, undamaged Royal Mint packaging adds to long-term appeal and value.

Overall, the 2011 Olympic Athletics 50p is a story-rich, mid-tier Olympic coin: designed by a child, moderately scarce, and almost essential for anyone aiming to complete the London 2012 50p series.