2 July 2024
Struck for good luck: Royal Mint unveils 50p celebrating ParalympicsGB and Team GB athletes
ParalympicsGB and Team GB athletes are being honoured on an official UK 50p ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The collectable coin has been designed to inspire the nation, featuring an Olympic and Paralympic athlete side by side against a backdrop of the Union Flag. In a special nod to the location of the Paris 2024 Games, a silhouette of the iconic Eiffel Tower can be seen at the base of the coin.
"It was a real privilege to be able to strike my very own coin" - Will Bayley
To celebrate the release, The Royal Mint invited Team GB athletes Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Ruby Evans, and Will Bayley and Funmi Oduwaiye representing ParalympicsGB to strike some of the very first coins – giving their personal seal of approval of the design. Each ParalympicsGB and Team GB athlete will also receive their own coin in their kit bags before they make their way to Paris over July and August.
Will Bayley, ParalympicsGB six-time medal winner, said, “I’m a proud Paralympic athlete, so to have us as a team represented on a coin makes me feel special. It was a real privilege to be able to strike my very own coin and will be something that I remember for many years to come.”
The official ParalympicsGB and Team GB 50p for Paris 2024
During the visit to The Royal Mint, Team GB diver, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix said, “It is an honour in itself to be going to the Olympics, but to also have a coin coming with us is incredible. Seeing the process makes it even more special, knowing the work that goes into it and seeing it in real life is amazing.”
Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said, “The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of sporting events, highlighting the incredible talent of athletes across the world. We hope the coin serves as a special good luck token and - everyone at The Royal Mint will be cheering on our Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes!”
The United Kingdom has participated in every modern Olympic Games since its inception in 1896. Similarly, the UK has a proud history as the birthplace of Paralympic sport, which began with the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 and, much like its Olympic counterpart, has become one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
The collectable 50p coin celebrating Team GB and ParalympicsGB is available to purchase from The Royal Mint’s website, with colour editions of the coin also available. Prices start from £12.
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