50 Pence - Elizabeth II Volleyball Gold Proof (2011)
Circulating version: 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Volleyball
| 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
Three volleyball players playing beach volleyball, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Volleyball – Gold Proof
The 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Volleyball – 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: Three volleyball players playing beach volleyball, London 2012 logo above, denomination below.
Common questions
How much is the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Volleyball – Gold Proof worth?
No verified sale of the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Volleyball – 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 Volleyball – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2011 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Volleyball, 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 Volleyball – 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 – Volleyball. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The Volleyball 50p is one of the 29 sport designs struck for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The reverses came from a competition open to the public, the proclamation describing this one came into force on 12 May 2010, and all 29 coins are dated 2011.
The Royal Mint's figures give a circulating mintage of 2,133,500. The Badminton coin has exactly the same figure, and the two share 21st place counting up from the scarcest. Twenty designs were struck in smaller numbers and only seven in larger: Equestrian, Boxing, Boccia, Canoeing, Aquatics, Athletics and Archery.
That makes Volleyball one of 11 designs in the series above two million. Its mintage is close to double the 1,125,500 of the Football coin at the bottom of the table, though well short of Archery at 3,345,500.
The reverse is by Daniela Boothman. The proclamation describes it as "three figures playing beach volleyball", with the London 2012 logo above and 50 PENCE below. It is the beach form of the game that is shown, not the indoor one.
Boothman told the Royal Mint Museum that she has loved drawing since school but does not do it for a living, and that she entered while on maternity leave. Volleyball was the sport on the list that she was "really keen on" straight away. Because it is "not something you see every day on the TV", she studied books and pictures online to understand how the players move, printing them off and drawing over them.
She set the net at an angle across the coin and added lines coming off the ball, which she felt would "really balance out the coin". 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 Volleyball 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Volleyball 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 Volleyball 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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