Name: Olympic Equestrian 50p
Brand: The Royal Mint
Price: 1.05 GBP
Availability: InStock

Olympic Equestrian 50p

Olympic Equestrian 50p Images

High-quality images of the 2011 Olympic Equestrian 50p showing obverse and design details. Click any image to view full size.

Olympic Equestrian 50p Obverse - 2011 UK 50p Coin Head Side

Obverse (Heads)

The obverse (heads side) of the 2011 50p coin featuring the portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley .

Tip: Click any image to view it in full size. All images show the actual 2011 Olympic Equestrian 50p as issued by The Royal Mint, helping you identify genuine coins and understand their design features.

Coin Description

The 2011 Equestrian 50p coin is a British fifty pence piece minted to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is a circulating coin and can be found in general change. The circulated version of the coin is generally worth around £1.50 to £2.50 to collectors, slightly more than its face value.

An uncirculated (BU - Brilliant Uncirculated) version, often in its original Royal Mint packaging, can be valued higher, around £5-£6.

There were 2,142,500 of these coins minted for general circulation. This places it in the middle range of rarity for the 29 Olympic 50p designs (some have mintages as low as 1.1 million, while others have over 3 million). The reverse design, created by Thomas Babbage, depicts a horse and rider jumping over a fence, with the London 2012 Olympic logo above and the denomination "50 PENCE" below. It is part of a set of 29 coins, each representing a different Olympic sport, that were released into circulation by The Royal Mint in 2011. You can find details on all of the coins here.

Olympic Equestrian 50p Specifications

Weight 8 g

Diameter 27.30 mm

Circulating Mintage 2,142,500

Obverse Designer Ian Rank-Broadley

Reverse Designer Thomas Babbage

Detailed Information

🐎 2011 Olympic Equestrian 50p

Circulating London 2012 Olympic 50p featuring a horse and rider jumping a fence – often called the “horse rider 50p” or even the “horse back rider 50p” by collectors.

Summary of Value & Key Facts

The 2011 Equestrian 50p is part of the 29-coin London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic series. With just over 2.14 million struck for circulation, it is a less common modern 50p. Strong demand from both Olympic collectors and horse-sport fans means it usually trades for more than face value in nicer grades.

📊 Key Figures

Core specifications and guide values for the standard circulating Equestrian (horse rider) 50p.

Aspect	Figure	Notes
Denomination	50 pence	Standard seven-sided UK 50p coin issued for general circulation in 2011 as part of the London 2012 sports set.
Alloy, weight & diameter	Cupro-nickel, 8.00 g, 27.30 mm	75% copper, 25% nickel – the usual Olympic 50p specification with a plain edge.
Mintage (circulating)	2,142,500	Official circulation mintage; ranked around 23rd out of the 29 Olympic designs by scarcity.
Designers	Reverse: Thomas Babbage Obverse: Ian Rank-Broadley	Reverse shows an equestrian jump; obverse carries the fourth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Typical value (circulated)	About £1 to £3+	Price guides and eBay sold data put most circulated examples around £1–£2, with very nice coins and dealer stock often up towards £3.
UNC / BU value (guide)	About £8 to £10	Brilliant Uncirculated coins in Royal Mint or dealer packaging typically trade for several times face value, often around the £8–£10 mark.

💡 Collector Notes

Whether you call it the Equestrian 50p, the “horse rider 50p” or the “horse back rider 50p”, this coin is a favourite for anyone into Olympic sports or equestrian themes. It’s not ultra-rare, but it is definitely a step up from everyday commemoratives in both scarcity and demand.

Commemorative theme: Issued as one of 29 designs celebrating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this coin represents the equestrian events – dressage, eventing and show jumping – where horse and rider compete as a true partnership.
Design: The reverse shows a horse and rider clearing a jump, with two fence rails visible, the London 2012 logo above and “50 PENCE” below. The design deliberately focuses on correct jumping form so that real equestrian fans can recognise something they’d genuinely see in competition.
Rarity in context: With just over 2.14 million minted, Equestrian is harder to find than high-mintage commemorative 50ps, but easier than the very lowest-mintage Olympic coins such as Football or Triathlon. On most scarcity tables it sits in the lower half (rarer than average, but not a “top-tier” rarity).
Circulating vs collector versions:
- Circulated: Found in change with typical wear and bag marks; these are the coins most collectors use for a circulation-quality Olympic set.
- Brilliant Uncirculated (BU): Sold in individual sports cards and Olympic collector albums. BU examples show full lustre and sharp detail on the horse, rider and jump, and are the preferred choice for higher-grade collections.
- Silver / proof issues: Silver BU and other proof formats were issued in limited numbers as part of special Olympic sets and sit in a higher price bracket than base-metal circulation coins.
Collecting tip: For circulation examples, look for clear detail on the horse’s legs, the rider’s body position and the fence rails, with minimal scratches in the open background. For BU or proof coins, intact original Royal Mint packaging and certificates help preserve value and make the coin easier to sell later.

Olympic Equestrian 50p

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