50 Pence - Elizabeth II Rowing Gold Proof (2011)
Circulating version: 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing
| 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 people rowing with legend, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
Find this on eBay
AffiliateGold Proof 50p price history
Daily limit reachedAbout the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Rowing – Gold Proof
The 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Rowing – 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 people rowing with legend, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
Common questions
How much is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Rowing – Gold Proof worth?
No verified sale of the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Rowing – 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 Rowing – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Rowing, 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 Rowing – 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 – Rowing. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
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.
Sources
- 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)
More from Olympic 50p (2011)
