Scarce: fewer than 2,000,000 minted. Sells often: 179 verified sales in the last 12 months.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Judo (2011)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2011 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 1,161,500 |
| 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 | David Cornell |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around
Two judo players in action, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
50 PENCE
Judo 50p market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateJudo 50p price history
Daily limit reachedJudo 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 | £14.75 🔒 eBay | £9.43 | – | £8.55 – £14.75 | 4 | 4 | 16-10-2026 | |
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| BU | £11.99 🔒 eBay | £15.48 | – | £11.99 – £47.50 | 8 | 8 | 09-10-2026 | |
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| VF | £9.00 🔒 eBay | £9.00 | ▼14.2% | £1.17 – £73.50 | 166 | 166 | 10-10-2026 | |
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| G | £9.73 🔒 eBay | £9.73 (1) | – | £9.73 – £9.73 | 1 | 1 | 10-10-2026 | |
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About the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Judo
The 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Judo 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: Two judo players in action, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
1,161,500 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Judo worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Judo run from £9.00 to £15.48 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many Olympic Judo 50p coins were made?
1,161,500 were struck for circulation, according to the Royal Mint's mintage figures. Only two of the 29 London 2012 sport 50p designs have lower figures: Football at 1,125,500 and Wrestling at 1,129,500. Triathlon is just above it at 1,163,500.
Is the Judo 50p rare?
It is the third scarcest Olympic 50p by mintage. In the Royal Mint's October 2024 list of the ten rarest 50p coins in circulation it placed fifth, behind the 2023 Atlantic Salmon, the 2009 Kew Gardens, and the Olympic Football and Wrestling coins.
Who designed the Olympic Judo 50p?
David Cornell, a painter and sculptor who had earlier worked for the Royal Mint as an engraver. He also designed the 1998 NHS 50p. He practised competitive judo in his twenties, and the obverse portrait of the Queen is by Ian Rank-Broadley.
What does the Judo 50p show?
Two judo players in the middle of a throw, with the London 2012 logo above and 50 PENCE below. The proclamation describes it simply as a depiction of a judo throw. Cornell said it was the throw used on him in the contest that ended his own judo career.
Why is the Judo 50p dated 2011 and not 2012?
All of the London 2012 sport 50p coins in the Royal Mint's mintage figures are listed under 2011, although they mark the 2012 Games. The royal proclamation setting out the designs came into force on 12 May 2010, well ahead of the Games, and the Judo coin carries the date 2011.
How do I identify the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Judo?
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 Judo 50p is one of 29 designs issued for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, one for each sport, chosen through a design competition open to the general public. The royal proclamation setting out the designs came into force on 12 May 2010, and the coin is dated 2011.
The Royal Mint's figures give a circulating mintage of 1,161,500. That is the third lowest of the 29, behind only Football (1,125,500) and Wrestling (1,129,500), and a whisker under Triathlon (1,163,500). The most common design, Archery, was struck in almost three times the number, at 3,345,500.
When the Royal Mint listed the ten rarest 50p coins in circulation in October 2024, Judo was fifth. The four above it were the 2023 Atlantic Salmon, the 2009 Kew Gardens, and the Football and Wrestling coins from the same Olympic series.
The reverse is by David Cornell, described by the Royal Mint as a painter and sculptor, and it was selected from more than 30,000 public submissions. Cornell was no newcomer to coins. He had worked for the Royal Mint as an engraver, and the Mint's design records also credit him with the 1998 NHS 50p. He entered four designs and Judo, his favourite subject, was the one chosen.
The subject was personal. Cornell did competitive judo in his twenties and reached brown belt. In a contest for his black belt he was thrown, refused to make a break fall so as not to concede the point, landed on his shoulder and had to give the sport up. He told the Royal Mint Museum that the coin shows that throw, and called his feelings about judo "a hate, love relationship". The image goes back to a plaster model he made early in his move from engraving to modelling.
The proclamation describes the reverse as "a depiction of a judo throw", with the London 2012 logo above and 50 PENCE below. The obverse carries the fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley. The edge is plain.
Collecting notes
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin. Marks, discolouration and flattened detail on a coin from change are wear, not errors.
The Royal Mint calls this one of the most detailed coins in the Olympic series, so on a used example check that the folds of the jackets and the figures' limbs are still distinct.
The 2010 proclamation also provided for the designs to be struck in gold, a separate issue from the 1,161,500 circulation coins. The coin was made for general circulation and can still turn up in change.
Cornell's earlier 50p is the 1998 NHS 50p. The scarcest Olympic design is the Football 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 Judo 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Judo fifty pence piece, 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)
- 2011 Olympic Judo 50p (London 2012), Coin Hunter (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Olympic 50 pence pieces, The Royal Mint Museum (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Making a Splash! The Royal Mint Crowns Atlantic Salmon 50p as Rarest 50p in Circulation, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- The Rarest 50p Coins, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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