The Equestrian 50p, designed by Thomas Babbage for the 2012 Olympic Games, is worth around £1.48 according to the average values on eBay in 2022.
Let’s take a look and see why the coin is worth this amount and the factors that contribute to its value.
How Rare Is The Equestrian 50p?
The Equestrian 50 pence Olympic coin is considered to be the 23rd rarest of the 29 Olympic coins based on mintage numbers alone. There were more than 2 Million, with 2,142,500 Equestrian Olympic 50p coins minted.
A mintage of around 2 million is very low for a 50p, and similar to other Olympic coins such as the Canoeing, Boxing and Boccia coins.
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. This special commemorative set consists of all 29 Olympic sporting events 50p coins. The Equestrian 50p coin is included in the set on a card marked 10/29.
- London 2012 Silver 50p Sports Collection set was issued with an unknown mintage. This special commemorative collector silver set consists of all 29 special commemorative Olympic coins in 0.925 silver.
The Equestrian Olympic 50 Pence coin was also minted in:
- A Specimen in Card variety marked Card 10/29
- Silver Brilliant Uncirculated in 0.925 Silver limited to a mintage of 30,000
- One special 0.917 Gold Proof FDC that was presented to the artist, Thomas Babbage
Equestrian at the Olympics
There is more to horsemanship than stepping into the saddle and riding. Equestrian sports are held as horse riding events. The word comes from the Latin word for horse, Equus.
In the 2012 Olympics, Equestrian consisted of dressage, eventing, and jumping with both an individual and team effort in each. The events were held from July 28 through August 9 at Greenwich Park.
Dressage is a French word meaning training. Horses are trained to execute a wide range of manoeuvres precisely.
Jumping is when a horse walks, or jumps, over bars or poles. In the Olympics, the competitions involve 13 or 14 obstacles varying in height.
Eventing at the Olympics involves three disciplines. Riders perform a dressage test, a cross-country round, and a jumping round.
During the London 2012 Olympics, the team from Great Britain performed magnificently and managed to top the medal table with 3 golds, a silver, and a bronze. In second place was Germany with 4 medals in total. Switzerland came in third with one gold medal.
About The Equestrian 50p Reverse Side Design
The Olympics Equestrian 50p coin was designed by Thomas Babbage. His design was selected out of 30,000 entries. The Equestrian Olympic 50p features a design of a horse with a rider jumping over a fence with two bars visible. The design was created by Thomas Babbage.
Consistent with each of the Olympic 50p special commemorative coins, the 2012 Olympic logo is seen at the centre top of the reverse side. The logo was designed by the consultancy firm Wolff Olins. While the design was not well received by the public at first, it remained the one in use.
It features the numbers 2012 in jagged, abstract, geometric shapes. The word, “london” all in lowercase is seen inside the first Number 2, and the five Olympic rings are inside the Zero.
As seen on each of the 29 coins, the words 50 PENCE are centred and slightly curved upward at the bottom underneath the image of the jumping horse’s hooves and the lower bar.
The edge of the coin is plain with no inscription.
About the Designer of the Equestrian Coin
A few years before the special commemorative 50 Pence Olympic coins were issued, the Royal Mint held a competition to select 29 individual designs. The 29 winners each represented one sport that they would design to appear on its own individual coin. The designer chosen for the Equestrian Olympic 50p coin was Thomas Babbage.
Tomas Babbage earned a degree in art with a focus on painting. However, he chose a career in teaching. He is from Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire but has travelled to Austria, Germany, and Spain to teach English.
Even though he travelled, he stayed up-to-date on happenings back home. He was working in Austria when he learned of the competition that the Royal Mint had announced. He immediately started designing several coins.
He admits that he was previously bored by the Olympics, but now he is a little more interested. His main concern was that his design was true to the sport. He wanted to make the horse look authentic in its jump.
Where To Buy The Equestrian Olympic 50p Coin
Going online to find collectable coins to add to your collection is the fastest and easiest way to shop for coins especially those that are rare or hard to find.
The average selling price on eBay is £1.40 for this coin, but this can vary depending on who you purchase from.