Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile Gold Proof (2004–2009)
Circulating version: 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Four Minute Mile
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2004–2009 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 644 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| 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.
The legs of a running athlete with a stylised stopwatch in the background, denomination below.
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not a sale of this coinWe have no sold price for this coin yet. This range is the middle of what 4 similar coins sold for as issued: the same denomination and metal, struck within 10 years. The lower figure is its metal value today. Treat it as a guide, not a valuation.
- £1,468
- £920
- £1,050
- £1,800
About the 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile – Gold Proof
The 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile – Gold Proof is a collector 50 pence coin issued from 2004 to 2009, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 15.5g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: The legs of a running athlete with a stylised stopwatch in the background, denomination below.
A mintage of 644 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile – Gold Proof worth?
No verified sale of the 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile – 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 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Four Minute Mile, 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 2004 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Four Minute Mile – 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 – Four Minute Mile. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The Roger Bannister 50p was issued in 2004, fifty years after the first mile run in under four minutes. Bannister broke the barrier on 6 May 1954 at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, crossing the line in three minutes and 59.4 seconds in front of about 3,000 spectators.
The royal proclamation setting out the design came into force on 9 October 2003. The coin was struck for general circulation, and the Royal Mint's figures give 9,032,500, alongside 35,315,500 Britannia 50p coins of the same date.
That places it mid-table for its era. Of the eleven commemorative 50p designs dated 1998 to 2010 in the Royal Mint's figures, six were struck in smaller numbers and four in larger.
The sculptor James Butler designed the reverse. The official description is short: the legs of a running athlete with a stylised stopwatch in the background, and the value 50 PENCE below. Only the athlete's legs are shown, so the coin is about the stride and the clock, not a portrait of the runner.
The proclamation's description includes no name, date or anniversary wording on the reverse. The year appears on the obverse only, after the royal titles.
The obverse carries the portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley, used on 50p coins from 1998 to 2015, with his initials IRB below. The proclamation specifies a plain edge.
Sources
- 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)
- 2004 Elizabeth II 'The 50th Anniversary of the First Four-Minute Mile' 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for fifty pence coins commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the first four-minute mile, London Gazette issue 57079, 9 October 2003, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Commemorative Coin Sales 2004, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and designs for new fifty pence coins, London Gazette issue 59124, 10 July 2009, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 50 Years of the 50p Brilliant Uncirculated Coin Set - British Culture, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- New Issue of the rarest 50 p coin celebrating Kew Gardens, CoinsWeekly (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2004 Roger Bannister UK 50 Pence Gold Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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