03 August 2012
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London 2012 to Rio 2016 £2 coin
The Royal Mint have unveiled the design of the ‘London 2012 Handover to Rio’ £2 Coin; the final coin in the mint’s ambitious London 2012 Coin programme, as the Olympic Games comes to an end. ...
The Royal Mint have unveiled the design of the ‘London 2012 Handover to Rio’ £2 Coin; the final coin in the mint’s ambitious London 2012 Coin programme, celebrating the Olympic Games.
The £2 coin marks the handover from host city London to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Games will take place in 2016. A spokesperson for the Royal Mint said: ‘At the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Games, the world will be watching as London hands over the mantle to the next host city, Rio de Janeiro. To celebrate the milestone, the Royal Mint has created a collection of coins in Base Metal to Brilliant Uncirculated standard, Silver Proof, Silver Piedfort Proof and Gold Proof as a fitting way for collectors to mark the end of their 2012 Olympic journey.’
Designed by silversmith Jonathan Olliffe, who was also responsible for the ‘Aquatics’ and ‘Gymnastic’ 50p designs, the coin’s reverse shows two hands meeting, handing over the Olympic relay baton. ‘This is symbolic of the Olympic athlete’s race but also serves as the symbol of two nations coming together, passing on the baton for future Games,’ the statement from the Royal Mint read. The design also shows the flags of the United Kingdom and Brazil, while the five stripes represent the five Olympic Rings. The obverse of the coin features the current portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.
The London 2012 Handover to Rio UK £2 Gold Proof Coin is housed in a wood-veneer presentation case and comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, whilst the Silver Proof and Silver Piedfort Proof £2 Coins are displayed in a black case. The Base Metal Coin comes in a superb presentation folder featuring interesting facts about the Closing Ceremony. All London 2012 Handover to Rio UK £2 Coins are available from The Royal Mint’s website www.royalmint.com.
Read more about London 2012 stamps and coins in our special web pages.
Discover the many stamps and coins being issued to mark the London 2012 Games in the August issue of Stamp & Coin Mart.
