Scarce: fewer than 2,000,000 minted. Sells often: 84 verified sales in the last 12 months.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Rowing (2011)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2011 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 1,717,300 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Olympic 50p (2011) |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 8.000g |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Thickness | 2.00mm |
| Shape | Equilateral curve heptagon (7-sided) |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Rev. artist | Davey Podmore |
| 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 people rowing with legend, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
50 PENCE
Rowing 50p market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateRowing 50p price history
Daily limit reachedRowing 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 | £4.97 🔒 eBay | £4.97 | – | £1.13 – £5.45 | 5 | 5 | 12-10-2026 | |
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| BU | £5.01 🔒 eBay | £5.02 | – | £4.27 – £5.95 | 5 | 5 | 23-07-2026 | |
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| VF | £2.49 🔒 eBay | £2.17 | ▼12.9% | £0.63 – £4.01 | 73 | 73 | 07-10-2026 | |
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| Fair | £1.70 🔒 eBay | £1.70 (1) | – | £1.70 – £1.70 | 1 | 1 | 13-09-2026 | |
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About the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing
The 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing 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 people rowing with legend, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
1,717,300 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing run from £1.70 to £5.02 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 Rowing 50p coins were made?
1,717,300 were struck for circulation, according to the Royal Mint's mintage figures. Ten of the 29 London 2012 sport 50p designs have a lower figure and eighteen a higher one, so Rowing is the eleventh scarcest of the series by mintage.
Is the Rowing 50p rare?
Not especially. At 1,717,300 it sits a little below the middle of the Olympic 50p series in the Royal Mint's figures, eleventh lowest of 29. The scarcest design, Football, has a mintage of 1,125,500, and the most common, Archery, 3,345,500.
Who designed the Olympic Rowing 50p?
The Royal Mint's design records name Davey Podmore, a graphic designer who found the competition on the London 2012 website. Other Royal Mint and Museum pages spell his name David Podmore or David Podimore. The Queen's portrait on the obverse is by Ian Rank-Broadley.
What are the words on the Rowing 50p?
The proclamation describes the design as a rowing boat accompanied by a number of words associated with the Olympic movement. The Royal Mint says the wording reflects the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. The designer added the lettering to give the image a story.
Why is the Rowing 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 Rowing coin carries the date 2011.
How do I identify the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing?
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 Rowing 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 1,717,300. Ten of the 29 designs have lower figures and eighteen have higher ones, so Rowing is the eleventh scarcest of the series. It sits between Modern Pentathlon (1,689,500) and Gymnastics (1,720,813). The scarcest design, Football, stands at 1,125,500 and the most common, Archery, at 3,345,500.
The Royal Mint's design records credit the reverse to Davey Podmore, a graphic designer who came across the competition on the London 2012 website. He told the Royal Mint Museum that he chose rowing because he likes to watch it and is "a big fan of Steve Redgrave".
The design uses lettering as well as a picture. The proclamation describes "a rowing boat accompanied by a number of words associated with the Olympic movement". Podmore said he wanted to convey the passion of athletes whose whole lives have been "working to this one moment, this one race", and the idea that rowers moving through the water are "leaving an imprint in their wake". He researched the boat and the rowers, then added the typography "to give a story". The Royal Mint says the wording reflects the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.
The London 2012 logo sits above the design 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.
On a used example, check that the small words in the design can still be read, as well as the outline of the boat.
The Royal Mint has offered examples that it describes as struck for general circulation and later acquired from the secondary market. The 2010 proclamation also provided for the designs to be struck in gold, a separate issue from the 1,717,300 circulation coins.
The coin was made for general circulation and can still turn up in change. Another design in the series built around words and a diagram is the Football 50p, which is also the scarcest of the 29.
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 Rowing 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Rowing 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 Rowing 50p (London 2012), Coin Hunter (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Olympic 50 pence pieces, The Royal Mint Museum (read 9 Oct 2026)
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