Put the finishing touch on your Olympic coin collection with this very hard-to-find 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 coin.
The 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio Two Pound coin is now easily worth about £10 according to the most recent values on eBay, but what makes it worth so much?
How Many 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 Coins Are There?
There were 845,000 of these coins released into circulation, which is considered quite a small amount in terms of £2 coin mintages.
Some other £2 coins with much higher mintages include the Charles Dickens £2 with a mintage of 8,190,000 and the Shakespeare £2 coins which have mintages between 4 and 6 million.
Since the London 2012 Olympic Games was one of the most memorable British sporting events, the entire Royal Mint Olympic coin collection has become highly collectable. Many people want 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 that were released into circulation and 28,356 brilliant uncirculated in presentation folder coins. The Off-metal strikes are not included.
This coin was not included in the Brilliant Uncirculated or Proof mint sets of the year.
It was minted in a Brilliant Uncirculated in presentation folder variety with 28,356 issued. Also, a Silver Proof FDC variety with 3,781 issued in 0.925 Silver and a Silver Proof Piedfort variety with 2,000 issued. A total of 771 Gold Proof FDC were also minted in 0.917 Gold at 28.40mm and 15.98g of 22-carat gold.
The Design Of The Two-Pound Coin
Sporting events have always been a popular choice to include on coin designs. The British £2 coin was originally introduced in 1986 to commemorate the XIII Commonwealth Games of Scotland.
This time, the coin would feature the 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio presented on the two-tone Two-Pound coin that was designed in 1997 and introduced to the public in 1998.
The newly designed Two-Pound coin was a bi-metallic coin that weighed 12 grams and measured 28.4mm in diameter and 2.500mm thick. In addition to the standard £2 coin, there have been several variations of the reverse design to commemorate important people and events.
The 2012 coin is part of the Two-Pound coins that were designed to commemorate a special event or to honour someone. It is a bi-metallic coin consisting of two different alloys. The outer ring is a Nickel-Brass, and the inner circle is CuproNickel.
The £2 was issued every year. The 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 Coin is part of the Technology type £2 but features a reverse side image to commemorate the Olympic handover.
The obverse of the coin features the Fourth Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right that appeared on the Two-Pound coin from 1998 to 2015. She is wearing the “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland” diamond tiara which was a wedding gift from Her Majesty’s grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1947.
The initials IRB are present just beneath her portrait which stand for the artist Ian Rank-Broadley.
Surrounding her head all around the outer circle is her legendary ELIZABETH II DEI GRA REG FID DEF which translates from Latin to mean Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.
This version of the coin also included the words TWO POUNDS and the date 2012 on the outer gold-coloured rim of the Obverse.
Reverse Coin Side Design
The reverse of the special commemorative two-pound round coin features a design that was to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio.
The image is a literal interpretation of the passing of the baton from the UK to Brazil. The design was also intended to reflect the relay race, which is one of the most-watched sporting events of the Olympics.
Flags of the UK and Brazil are twisted together across the lower portion of the coin extending out to the edges and intertwining in the center. Two hands are visible. A banner waves from the top underneath the words LONDON 2012, twisting at the left hand and extending in stripes to represent the lanes of a swimming pool.
The hand on the right is holding a baton and handing it over to an open hand on the left. Above the hand with the baton is the 2012 Olympic logo that was designed by the consultancy firm of Wolff Olins.
The inscription LONDON 2012 is seen across the top, and RIO 2016 is across the bottom. The edge inscription reads I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD. The inscription was a message intended to inspire young athletes to represent the next generation. The words encompassed the spirit of the Olympic Games.
The reverse image was designed by Jonathan Olliffe. Jonathan was also chosen to design another rare coin. If you are fortunate enough to find the original minting, his Aquatics 50p design made a big splash among coin collectors. He designed the Aquatics 50p coin of which several hundred had been released before he was asked to change the design slightly.
The Designer Of The 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio Coin
Jonathan Oliffe was an artist who was more comfortable designing bowls or vases when he entered the coin design contest for the Olympic 50p designs. To his complete delight, he was chosen to design two special commemorative Olympic coins and then completely thrilled and honoured when the Royal Mint asked him to design the final coin of the London 2012 Olympic collection, a Two-Pound piece. Additionally, he designed the reverse side of the UK 2013 Coronation commemorative 5-ounce coin.
Jonathan was a silversmith from Witney, Oxfordshire, so he was already familiar with working with metal when he was chosen to design his first coins. He is an English artist from Witney, Oxfordshire who studied Art and Design and earned his Master’s Degree from Birmingham School of Jewellery.
Now, he is no stranger to designing coins. He approached his designs as if they were a piece of art. He incorporates his skill of engraving metal with his designs.
What Does The 2012 Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 Coin Represent?
The coin marked the end of a very successful 2012 London Olympic Games as it looked forward to the 2016 Olympics that were to be held in Rio de Janeiro. It also marked the last of the Royal Mint’s London 2012 Olympic coin series. It is one of the hardest coins to find in circulation.
At the end of each Olympic Games, the hosting city officially hands over the baton to the host of the next Olympics. In 2012, the world was looking to Rio to celebrate the next of the summer games to be held in 2016.
The ceremonial handover took place in celebratory fashion at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games. Rio accepted the handover with an “Embrace” that was created by Cao Hamburger and Daniela Thomas featuring Pelé and lasted for several minutes. British politician and former track and field athlete Sebastian Coe gave a speech. Additionally, volunteers that helped with the London 2012 Olympics were thanked.
Where Can You Buy The Coin
Looking on eBay is one of the fastest and easiest ways to find coins. Just make sure you do your homework, so there are no unpleasant surprises, and you are sure of exactly what you are buying.
The average selling price on eBay is around £10 for this coin, so expect to pay or get something around that value.