In 2008 there were two separate £2 coins issued to commemorate the Olympic Games, one for the handover to the London 2012 Olympics and the other to commemorate the Centenary of the Olympic Games in London; but how much is the latter worth today, and is it rare?
The 2008 London Olympic centenary £2 coin is the 7th rarest £2 coin and has an average selling price of £5.20 according to the most recent values on eBay in 2022.
If you want to learn just about everything there is to know about the 2008 London Centenary £2 coin then you’ve come to the right place – let’s get into it!
Olympic Centenary £2 Coin Mintage
In 2008, a total of three two pound coins were minted. One of these was the standard technology reverse £2 which was minted each year until 2015, and the other two were in commemoration of the Olympics.
The Olympic Centenary £2 had a mintage of 910,000, slightly less than the Olympic Games Handover £2 which had a mintage of 918,000.
This makes the coin the 7th rarest £2 coin in circulation. For perspective, the rarest £2 coin is the 2002 Northern Ireland Flag Commonwealth Games £2 with a mintage of just 485,500.
Given the low mintage of the 2008 Olympic Centenary £2 coin, it is clear to see why it has a respectable average selling price above £5 on eBay.
Other Versions Of The Coin
The coin was not only minted for circulation, and there were several other versions issued for collectors by the Royal Mint that were uncirculated.
These include a gold proof edition that is highly valuable, as well as standard proof and silver versions. You can find the mintages for all of these in the table below.
| Version | Mintage |
| Brilliant Uncirculated (in sets and folder) | 165,838 |
| Proof | 36,333 |
| Silver Proof | 6,481 |
| Silver Proof Piedfort | 1,619 |
| Gold Proof | 1,908 |
The Design Of The 2008 Olympic Centenary £2 Coin
The design is part of the two pound coins that were created to commemorate a special event or to honour a historic figure. The 2008 Olympic Centenary £2 Coin was designed by designer and engraver Thomas T. Docherty in celebration of the 200th anniversary.
Thomas T. Docherty worked at the Royal Mint for more than a decade. He started as a trainee engraver and worked his way up to becoming a full-fledged member of the team within just a few years. He is also noted for designing the 2016 Royal Mint Remembrance Day coin featuring a red poppy.
The reverse of this special commemorative Olympic two pound round coin features a design that was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Games. It features the anniversary date of 1908 positioned within a 4-lane running track to look as if each number is marking a lane of its own.
The coin’s monetary value TWO POUNDS 2008 is inscribed on its side underneath the 1908 date. If you look closely at one of the black track lines, you will see the initials TD which belong to the designer, Thomas Docherty. The words LONDON OLYMPIC CENTENARY encircle the design on the outer flat rim.
Around the milled edge, the inscription reads THE 4TH OLYMPIAD LONDON
The obverse of the coin features the Fourth Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. In this version, she is facing right. This image appeared on the two pound coin from 1998 to 2015. In this portrait, she is wearing the “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland” diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Her Majesty’s grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1947.
Just under her image are the initials IRB which signify the initials of artist Ian Rank-Broadley. Around her head and all around the outer circle is printed 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.
What Does The 2008 Olympic Centenary £2 Coin Represent?
The Olympic Games that are still played today began in Athens in 1896. The Games were the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin who had a dream to bring people together from around the world to share in the spirit of friendly competition.
He hoped that the best athletes from every country could have a place to strive for victory and achieve personal excellence. These games have become the greatest sporting event in the world.
In 1908, the Olympic Games were supposed to take part in Rome. However, a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius completely devastated the city of Naples and the surrounding communities. It would take a lot of work and funds to reconstruct Naples which meant a new site for the Olympic Games had to be found quickly.
They moved the event to London with the city fully embracing the idea. They even built a stadium specifically for the Games in White City.
As it turned out, Great Britain was the nation with the overall winners that year between the 22 countries represented. Their athletes brought home a total of 56 gold medals in 1908.
Where Can You Buy/Sell The Coin?
eBay is always an easy option if you want to purchase (or sell) any circulated coin, but you need to make sure that you take your time to find a good seller.
For uncirculated versions that are more valuable, we highly recommend using a well-established coin dealership or checking the inventory on the Royal Mint’s website.
