Scarce: fewer than 2,000,000 minted. Sells often: 68 verified sales in the last 12 months.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Equestrian (2011)
"Olympic Equestrian 50p"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2011 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 2,142,500 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Olympic 50p (2011) |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 8.000g |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Thickness | 1.78mm |
| Shape | Equilateral curve heptagon (7-sided) |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Rev. artist | Thomas Babbage |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around
Rider on horse jumping over a fence, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
50 PENCE
Equestrian 50p market value
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AffiliateEquestrian 50p price history
Daily limit reachedEquestrian 50p value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £4.38 🔒 eBay | £5.45 | – | £2.49 – £10.67 | 9 | 9 | 06-09-2026 | |
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| BU | £5.44 🔒 eBay | £5.23 | – | £4.38 – £6.45 | 6 | 6 | 17-09-2026 | |
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| VF | £1.54 🔒 eBay | £2.22 | – | £1.05 – £6.00 | 53 | 53 | 02-10-2026 | |
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About the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Equestrian
The 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Equestrian is a circulating 50 pence coin in the Olympic 50p (2011) series, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 8g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: Rider on horse jumping over a fence, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
2,142,500 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Equestrian worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Equestrian run from £2.22 to £5.45 across 3 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many Olympic Equestrian 50p coins were made?
2,142,500 were struck for circulation, according to the Royal Mint's mintage figures. That is the seventh highest figure of the 29 London 2012 sport designs, just below Boxing (2,148,500) and just above Badminton and Volleyball (2,133,500 each).
Is the Equestrian 50p rare?
No, not within its series. In the Royal Mint's figures 22 of the 29 Olympic 50p designs have a lower mintage than the Equestrian coin. Its 2,142,500 is close to double the 1,125,500 of the Football coin, the scarcest of the set.
Who designed the Equestrian 50p?
Thomas Babbage, whose design was chosen from more than 30,000 public submissions. He told the Royal Mint Museum he was working in Austria when he heard about the competition and entered several designs. The obverse portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is by Ian Rank-Broadley.
What does the Equestrian 50p show?
A horse and rider in mid-jump, clearing a fence. The London 2012 logo is above the design and the denomination 50 PENCE is below. The edge is plain and the coin is dated 2011 on the obverse.
How do I identify the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Equestrian?
Check the weight 8g and diameter 27.3mm and the metal (copper-nickel) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The Equestrian 50p is one of 29 coins issued for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, one for each sport. The designs came from a competition open to the general public, the equestrian design was among those authorised by a royal proclamation in force from 12 May 2010, and every coin in the series is dated 2011.
The Royal Mint's figures give a circulating mintage of 2,142,500. That is the seventh highest of the 29. It sits in a tight group near the top of the series: Boxing is just above at 2,148,500, and Badminton and Volleyball are just below at 2,133,500 each. In all, 22 designs were struck in smaller numbers.
The reverse is by Thomas Babbage and was chosen from more than 30,000 public submissions. The proclamation describes it as "a horse and rider jumping over a fence". The pair are shown in mid-jump, with the London 2012 logo above and 50 PENCE below.
Accuracy was the point of the design. Babbage told the Royal Mint Museum that he studied photographs of horses in competition because he "wanted to make the horse look true to a horse riding event", so that people who know the sport "would feel that this is something that they would see on a regular occasion."
He was working in Austria when he heard about the competition, had "a lot of free time" and entered several coins, of which this one won. He admitted that the Olympics had meant little to him before, but said that winning made the Games "more personal". He called the coin "my fifteen minutes of fame".
The obverse carries the fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, in which she wears the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. The edge is plain.
Collecting notes
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin. Marks, discolouration and flattened detail on a circulated example are wear, not errors.
On a used coin, check that the horse, the rider and the fence beneath them are still clearly defined.
The May 2010 proclamations also provided for the equestrian design in gold and in silver. Those coins share the design but are separate from the 2,142,500 struck for circulation.
The coin was struck for general circulation and the 50p remains a current coin, so it can still turn up in change. Its neighbours by mintage are the Boxing 50p and the Badminton 50p.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- 2011 Elizabeth II London Olympic Equestrian 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Equestrian: Thomas Babbage, The Royal Mint Museum (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and designs for fifty pence coins commemorating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London Gazette issue 59419, 14 May 2010, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- UK coin mintage figures (data file), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 50p Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Olympic 50 pence pieces, The Royal Mint Museum (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and designs for a fifty pence silver coin commemorating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London Gazette issue 59419, 14 May 2010, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
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