The 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 Coin: A Sporting Legacy
Introduction
The 2012 London Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, took place from July 27 to August 12, 2012. Hosted in the vibrant capital of the United Kingdom, London, these Games marked the 27th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games.
A total of 10,768 athletes from 204 nations participated in 302 events across 26 sports and 39 different disciplines.
The Olympic Park in East London served as the principal focus of Olympic activity. Key venues included the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome, BMX Circuit, and various arenas. Other prestigious venues like Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, Lord’s Cricket Ground, and Horse Guards Parade also hosted events.
The London 2012 Games left a lasting legacy, enhancing the city’s infrastructure and promoting sport and culture.
As the London Olympics concluded, attention turned to the next host city—Rio de Janeiro. The Olympic spirit crossed continents, symbolizing unity and continuity.
The 2012 Olympic Games Handover London to Rio £2 coin immortalises this pivotal moment in Olympic history.
Let’s explore the story behind this coin and its enduring significance.
Design and Symbolism
The Reverse
Jonathan Olliffe’s design captures the essence of Olympic handover.
The central motif depicts the moment of a baton handover in a relay race. The hand holding the baton descends from the top right, above a sweeping UK flag that twists to become the flag of Brazil below. The hand reaching up from the bottom left takes the baton—an Olympic tradition symbolizing continuity and unity.
The legend reads “LONDON 2012” at the top left and “RIO 2016” at the bottom right.
The Obverse
The obverse features the classic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley. However, what sets this coin apart is the omission of the denomination “TWO POUNDS” on the reverse.
Instead, it has been incorporated into the obverse, discreetly displayed at the bottom.
Specifications
- Denomination: £2
- Obverse Designer: Ian Rank-Broadley (portrait of Queen Elizabeth II)
- Reverse Designer: Jonathan Olliffe
- Edge Inscription: I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD
- Mintage for Circulation: 845,000
Mintage of the Coin
The 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 coin had a mintage of 845,000, which is considered very low in terms of £2 coin mintages.
Significance
As the London 2012 Olympic Games concluded, the entire Royal Mint Olympic coin collection became highly collectible. Many people wanted to group together pieces of British history in their own complete collection of coins.
Adding the coins that were minted but not released into circulation, this coin has a total mintage of 873,356. The number consists of the 845,000 coins released into circulation and 28,356 brilliant uncirculated in presentation folder coins.
Other collectors' versions of the coin were minted and the figures for the Handover design are shown below:
Silver Proof versions - 12,000
Silver Proof Piedfort versions - 2,000
Gold Proof versions - 1,200
Scarcity of the coin
In 2012, two commemorative £2 coins were made available, the 2012 Charles Dickens £2 coin and the 2012 Olympic Games Handover London to Rio £2 coin, along with the Technology coin which had a mintage of 3,900,000. No commemorative 50p coins were also released in this year.
The 2012 Olympic Games Handover £2 coin has a low mintage and it is unlikely you have received one of these coins in your change recently.
How much is the 2012 Olympic Games Handover Two Pound coin worth?
The coin, in circulating condition is worth around £10 without shipping, which is considerably more than face value and the values increasing.
Where can I buy the 2012 Olympic Games Handover £2 Coin?
You can buy this coin by clicking here.
You can buy the circulated version of the 2012 Handover £2 coin online on auction sites such as eBay or Amazon but please ensure you look at all the information and reputation of the seller.
Unfortunately, as this coin is now over 12 years old, the Royal Mint no longer stock this coin so it is only available to buy on the secondary market.
Are there any known errors of this coin?
The Royal Mint has not confirmed any official errors for this coin so please beware of any sellers trying to inflate the selling price by claiming they have an error coin.
The writing on the side of the coin can be either one way or the other and there is an equal chance of it being either upside down or the other way, it is not an error.
Bit of trivia...
The 1908 Olympic Games were scheduled to take place in Rome, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 7 April 1906 prompted the shifting of the Games to London. The Games took place from the 27 April to 31 October 1908.
Lasting a total of 187 days these games were the longest in modern Olympics history; since 1988, the modern Games have lasted 17 days. The 1908 Games featured athletes representing 22 National Olympic Committees, competing in 22 sports.