Lot 107: UK 2011 Silver Proof 50 Pence Aquatics Withdrawn Design Variety

A UK silver 50 pence coin dated 2011, struck to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic Games. This specimen features the rare Aquatics withdrawn design variety, characterised by horizontal lines representing water passing directly over the swimmer’s face. The obverse displays the fourth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, with the surrounding legend ELIZABETH · II · D · G · REG · F · D · 2011 and the designer’s initials IRB under the truncated neck. The reverse features the Aquatics design with the London 2012 Olympic logo above and the denomination 50 PENCE below. The coin is housed in a clear protective capsule with a black foam insert. This variety was modified shortly after production began to make the swimmer’s face clearer, making the original version highly sought after by collectors.