The Boccia 50p is worth £2.02 as of the latest sold values on eBay in 2022, but what makes this coin so collectable and sought after?
Learn more about the coin and its history in this article.
Is The Boccia 50p Olympic Coin Rare?
The Boccia 50 pence Olympic coin is considered to be the 25th rarest of the 29 Olympic coins based on mintage numbers alone. There were almost 2.2 million minted, with a total mintage of 2,166,000 Boccia 50p coins.
However, it is unique in that it is one of just a few Olympic series 50 Pence coins that depict a sporting event from the Paralympics, similarly to the Wheelchair Rugby 50p coin.
As with other special commemorative coins, this coin was also issued in sets that include:
- London 2012 Sports Collection Collector Album with an unknown mintage. The set consists of all 29 Olympic sporting event 50p coins of which the Boccia 50p coin was on card 6/29.
- London 2012 Silver 50p Sports Collection with an unknown mintage. The silver set consists of all 29 special Olympic coins in 0.925 silver.
The Boccia Olympic 50 Pence coin was also minted in:
- A Specimen in card variety on Card 6/29
- Silver Brilliant Uncirculated issued in 0.925 Silver limited to 30,000 mintage
- One 0.917 Gold Proof FDC that was presented to the artist
About Boccia
Similar to bocce, or lawn bowling, boccia is played with much precision. Players roll colourful leather balls toward a white target ball, called a jack. Balls can be rolled using hands, feet, or an assistance device. Boccia is played by individuals, pairs, or teams of three athletes. Men and Women play together.
The players are classified according to physical disability as follows:
- BC1 – Cerebral palsy with locomotor dysfunction that affects the whole body and may be assisted by an aide. Players use hands or feet to propel the ball into play
- BC2 – Cerebral palsy with locomotor dysfunction affecting the whole body and may not be assisted by an aide. Players use their hands to propel the ball into play
- BC3 – Cerebral palsy or other disability with locomotor dysfunction in all four limbs using the help of a ramp to propel the ball and may be assisted by an aide ramper
- BC4 – Not cerebral palsy but other disability with locomotor dysfunction in all four limbs using hands to propel the ball into play and not assisted by an aide
The game was originally designed to be played by those with cerebral palsy but has since opened up to others with severe disabilities which affect motor skills. It became a Paralympic sport in 1984.
At the 2012 London Paralympics, 7 events were held for Boccia. The events were played in the ExCeL and included four individual events, two pair events, and one team event. There were 104 athletes in total including 80 men and 24 women.
The events were mixed men and women as follows:
Individual
- BC1
- BC2
- BC3
- BC4
Team
- BC1/BC2
Pairs
- BC3
- BC4
In terms of medals, Brazil ranked in the top spot obtaining 3 gold medals and a bronze, followed closely by Thailand which won 2 gold medals, and South Korea in third winning one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal.
Reverse Side Design
The Boccia Paralympic 50p coin features a design by Justin Chung. The image shows an athlete in a wheelchair throwing a ball with his hands in a game of boccia. His wheelchair is situated within a rectangular boxed area, and the corner of the boccia field is seen on the right side above the word, “PENCE”.
The 2012 Paralympic logo is seen at the centre top. The logo was designed by the consultancy firm Wolff Olins. For the first time ever, the Paralympics logo was designed to look a lot like the Olympics logo. The design brings in elements of the Paralympics logo, mainly the three agitos, or swooshes, instead of the 5 Olympic rings. The agios represent the spirit of motion which is the Paralympics motto.
The words 50 PENCE are centred and slightly curved upward at the bottom underneath the image.
50p Olympic Coin’s Design
All 29 of the special commemorative Olympic coins were issued in honour of the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. Like other 50 pence coins, they are a 7-sided shape forming an equilateral curved heptagon and consist of Cupro-nickel alloy. The coins weigh 8.00 g, have a diameter of 27.3 mm, and are 1.78 mm thick.
The Obverse design features Her Majesty as depicted by Ian Rank-Broadley. This is the Fourth Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. She is facing right and wearing the same crown as she wears in the Machin and the Gottwald portraits, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland diamond tiara. The words ELIZABETH II * D * G * REG * F * D * 2011 surround her image.
The edge of the coin is plain with no inscription.
About the Designer
The Royal Mint held a competition to choose who the 29 individual designers would be. The winners each represented one sport to be depicted on its own individual coin. The Boccia Olympic 50p coin was designed by Justin Chung. He chose to represent a sport of the Paralympics.
Justin Chung, from Manchester, was a college student at the time. He learned about the competition and wanted to challenge himself to draw something that might be chosen to appear on a coin.
He was inspired by watching YouTube videos of the games. He noticed the Paralympics athletes expressed their difficult efforts and their spirit on their faces and through their body language. He wanted to express all of this on the coin.
Where To Buy The Boccia 50p
One of the fastest and easiest ways to shop for coins is online at eBay. The average selling price on eBay is £1.94 for this coin, but this can vary between listings.
You can also buy the other Olympic coins, such as the Volleyball, Cycling and Fencing coins on eBay as well.