The Badminton 50p is worth £1.45 on average when looking at past sold values on eBay in 2022.
But why is this 50p coin worth over twice face value, and why is it sought after by collectors? Let’s find out.
Mintage of the Badminton 50p Coin
This coin that represents the Olympic sport of Badminton is considered to be the 21st rarest in the set of 29 Olympic and Paralympic coins based solely on mintage figures. There was a total of just slightly more than two million Badminton 50 pence coins minted – 2,133,500 to be exact.
This figure is comparable to some of the other Olympic 50p coins such as the fencing and cycling coins.
Additionally, the coin was minted in:
- A Specimen in card labeled 4/29
- Silver Brilliant Uncirculated as 0.925 Silver
- One unique Gold Proof FDC 0.917 Gold presented to the artist
The 50p Badminton Coin was also minted in sets including:
- London 2012 Sports Collection Collector Album
- London 2012 Silver 50p Silver Sports Collection
Olympic Coin’s Design
This coin was designed to celebrate Badminton as an Olympic sport and is part of the special 2012 London Olympic coins minted and released in 2011. It consists of a Cupro-nickel alloy with an 8.00g weight, a diameter of 27.3mm, and it is 1.78mm thick.
The Obverse design is that of a mature crowned head of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley.
The image features Her Majesty facing right and wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland diamond tiara. The tiara had been a wedding gift from Queen Mary, her grandmother, in 1947. She is seen wearing this tiara in the Machin and Gottwald portraits as well.
In this version, her mature head is crowned and facing right. Surrounding her portrait are the words ELIZABETH II * D * G * REG * F * D * 2011 which is abbreviated from Dei Gratia Regina meaning Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith. Small letters just below her head are the signature mark of the artist, Ian Rank-Broadley, IRB.
The edge is plain with no inscription.
Reverse Side Design of the Badminton 50 Pence Coin
The coin features a large shuttlecock, also called a birdie, to the left and centre of the reverse side of the coin. To the right of the shuttlecock are badminton players demonstrating ten different stances, moves, and racket positions of the game.
The players are presented in four rows with three players in the top three rows and one player serving the shuttlecock on the bottom. Lines separate the rows to look like the court and the net.
At the top and centre of the coin is the Olympic logo that was designed by The 2012 Summer Olympics logo seen at the top of the coin’s reverse was designed by Wolff Olins consultancy firm. Centred at the bottom of the coin are the words 50 PENCE.
Information About the Designer
Each of the 29 Olympic 50p coins was designed by individual designers who were the winners of a contest to determine who the Royal Mint would use for each coin. The Badminton Olympic 50p coin was designed by Emma Kelly.
Emma Kelly was one of less than ten females chosen to design the Olympic 50p coins. She was a graphic designer for an architectural company. She has always loved the Olympics and chose to illustrate the sport of badminton because she thought it would be fun to draw the shuttlecock. She even purchased a shuttlecock to use as inspiration.
She didn’t want to highlight the shuttlecock alone, however. She also wanted to incorporate the fans and the human element of the game.
She learned about the Royal Mint’s contest when she saw an advertisement.
After her winning coin was issued, Emma went on to expand her graphic design skills by drawing professionally and exploring various subject matters with colour, pen, and ink.
Badminton at the Olympics
Similar to tennis, badminton is played on a court with a net using rackets. However, instead of using a ball, badminton uses a shuttlecock. The shuttlecock is sometimes referred to as the birdie. The game is played in singles or doubles.
Professional badminton is played inside so the wind and other weather elements don’t interfere with the shuttlecock. At the London 2012 Summer Olympics, badminton was played in the Wembley Arena.
Each game plays till 21 points are scored. Players score points when they win a rally. There is a two-minute break between each game. A match consists of three games.
At the London 2012 Olympics, the badminton events featured 172 athletes competing in five events that included:
- men’s singles
- women’s singles
- men’s doubles
- women’s doubles
- mixed doubles
The team from China won the most gold medals as well as 2 silver medals and 1 bronze. Denmark followed closely behind in second place with one silver and one bronze medal. Japan and Malaysia tied for third place winning a single silver medal each.
During the women’s doubles, there were several disqualifications called claiming unethical or foul play. Four teams were ejected from the competition which included players from China, four players from South Korea, and two from Indonesia.
Where You Can Buy The Badminton 50p Coin
eBay is a great option for those looking to buy or sell a Badminton 50p quickly.
Look to buy, or sell, for around the average value of £1.36 and always deal with a reputable seller.
