With less than two weeks until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, on July 16 the British Royal Mint unveiled its London 2012 “Handover to Rio” coin. The 2-pound coins marks the end of the Mint’s London 2012 program.
At the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Games, London will hand over the mantle to the next host city, Rio de Janeiro. To celebrate the event, the Mint has created a collection of coins in base metal to BU standard, silver proof, silver piedfort proof and gold proof.
The focal point of the reverse is two hands meeting, handing off the Olympic relay baton. It is symbolic of the Olympic athlete’s race, but also serves as the symbol of two nations coming together, passing on the baton for future Games, according to the Mint. The hands are embraced by a continuous sweeping flag. The flag of the United Kingdom sweeps down and twists to reveal the flag of Brazil. The five stripes represent the five Olympic rings. It was designed by Jonathan Olliffe.
The obverse of the coin features the current portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.
The BU version of the coin has a cupronickel center surrounded by a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.00 grams.
The silver proof and silver piedfort have a core of .925 sterling silver surrounded by .925 sterling silver plated with gold.
The silver proof weighs 12.00 grams and the silver piedfort weighs 24.00 grams.
The gold proof has a 22-karat yellow gold center surrounded by a 22-karat red gold outer ring. It weighs 15.976 grams.
All versions measure 28.40 mm in diameter and bear the edge inscription, “I call upon the youth of the world.”
They are available from The Royal Mint’s website, www.royalmint.com.
More Coin Collecting Resources:
• Subscribe to our Coin Price Guide, buy Coin Books & Coin Folders and join the NumisMaster VIP Program
