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Lines Over The Face' 2011 Olympic Swimming 50p error coin, authenticated and graded by NGC. Issued by The Royal Mint in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Aquatics 50p showcases a design by Jonathan Oliffe of a swimmer cutting through water, conveyed by dynamic, wavy lines. While the regular 2011 Aquatics 50p is widely found in circulation, a far rarer version features a notable design detail: the water lines extend across the swimmer's face. Standard coins omit this feature. It is believed that only around 600 examples of the 'lines over the face' variant were released before the artwork was amended, confirming this error as the rarest base-metal Fifty Pence ever produced. Verified specimens, such as this MS 67 example, offer a third-party guarantee of authenticity.
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The 2011 Olympic Aquatics 50p is one of 29 unique sporting coins released by The Royal Mint before the 2012 Olympic Games. The swimming design was created by Jonathan Oliffe and shows a swimmer in the water.
Although millions of standard Aquatics 50p pieces entered circulation in 2011, only around 600 bear an earlier version of the artwork in which the water's lines extend across the swimmer's face - a feature removed from the final design.
The obverse features Ian Rank-Broadley's fourth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the effigy used on UK coinage from 1998 to 2015. The surrounding legend reads 'ELIZABETH · II · D · G · REG · F · D · 2011'.
Struck with specially prepared dies in small batches, brilliant uncirculated coins display a markedly sharper finish than circulating issues. This Fifty Pence retains the same dimensions and weight as the standard version.
This example of the 'Lines Over The Face' Acquatics error design has been assessed by the leading third-party grading organisation, the Numismatic Guaranty Company and is supplied sealed in a holder with a unique reference number.
