50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing Gold Proof (2011)
Circulating version: 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Fencing
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2011 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 1 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Olympic 50p (2011) |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 15.500g · 0.4568 t oz |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Shape | Equilateral curve heptagon (7-sided) |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| 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 fencers in action, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
Find this on eBay
AffiliateGold Proof 50p price history
Daily limit reachedAbout the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing – Gold Proof
The 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing – Gold Proof is a collector 50 pence coin in the Olympic 50p (2011) series, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 15.5g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: Two fencers in action, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
Common questions
How much is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing – Gold Proof worth?
No verified sale of the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing – Gold Proof has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its gold content is worth about £1,373 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Fencing, not the coin found in change. At 15.5g of 91.67% gold it is heavier than the 8g nickel circulating coin, so weighing it is the quickest check.
How do I identify the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Fencing – Gold Proof?
Check the weight 15.5g and diameter 27.3mm and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This is a collector version of the 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Fencing. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The Fencing 50p is one of 29 coins issued for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, one for each sport, with designs chosen through a competition open to the general public. The fencing design was among those authorised by a royal proclamation in force from 12 May 2010, and all of the coins are dated 2011.
The Royal Mint's figures give a circulating mintage of 2,115,500. That is the tenth highest of the 29, between Cycling (2,090,500) and Badminton and Volleyball (2,133,500 each). Nineteen designs were struck in smaller numbers, so by mintage this is one of the more common coins in the set.
The reverse is by Ruth Summerfield and was chosen from more than 30,000 public submissions. The proclamation describes it simply as "two figures fencing". One fencer lunges forward in attack while the other holds a contrasting stance, with the London 2012 logo above and 50 PENCE below.
Summerfield told the Royal Mint Museum that she saw the competition advertised in a newspaper during a night shift at the hospital where she worked, and drew the design on her breaks. She does not play sport herself. A friend who fences gave her the idea, and she wanted a sport "where the body makes interesting and dramatic shapes" because that would translate well onto a coin.
Speaking to the Museum again in 2022, she ranked winning alongside completing a marathon and gaining a medical degree, and said she plans to leave her gold version of the coin to a goddaughter who has taken up fencing.
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.
Sources
- 2011 Elizabeth II London Olympic Fencing 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Fencing: Ruth Summerfield, 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)
More from Olympic 50p (2011)
