Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 Coin

Summary of Value & Key Facts

The Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 was issued in 2012 to celebrate the moment London passed the Olympic flag – and the baton – to Rio de Janeiro. With a circulation mintage of just 845,000, it is classed as a scarce modern £2 coin and usually trades well above face value in collectable condition.

Core specifications and guide values for the standard circulating Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 coin.

This coin is the numismatic full stop at the end of London 2012 – and the opening bracket for Rio 2016. Low mintage, bi-metallic eye appeal and a neat “flags and baton” design make it one of the more desirable modern £2 commemoratives.

• Commemorative theme: Marks the handover of the Olympic Games from London to Rio at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony. During the event, the Olympic flag was passed from the IOC President to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, followed by an eight-minute performance showcasing Brazilian culture.
• Reverse design: Jonathan Olliffe’s reverse shows a UK hand passing a relay baton to a Brazilian hand, with the Union Flag and Brazilian flag twisting together around the baton. Five dynamic stripes echo the five Olympic rings, with the London 2012 logo above and the legend “LONDON 2012 · RIO 2016” around the outer ring.
• Obverse & edge: The obverse uses Ian Rank-Broadley’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The milled edge carries the inscription “I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD”, a line from the traditional Olympic oath used at Games ceremonies.
• Rarity & scarcity: With just 845,000 in circulation, this is one of the lower-mintage UK £2 coins and appears in Royal Mint–based lists of the rarer £2 designs. It’s scarcer than many other commemorative £2s but slightly more common than some ultra-low issues like the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland coin.
• Circulating vs collector versions:
  • Circulated: Bi-metallic coins found in change, usually with moderate wear and contact marks. Even worn examples tend to sell above face due to low mintage and Olympic appeal.
  • Brilliant Uncirculated (BU): Sold in official Royal Mint packs; these show full lustre and sharp detail on the baton, flags and running-track style background and are the preferred choice for serious £2 collections.
  • Silver & gold proofs: The Royal Mint also issued silver proof, silver piedfort and gold proof versions with very low edition limits (e.g. 12,000 silver, 2,000 piedfort and around 1,200 gold). These sit in a completely different price bracket to the base-metal circulation coin.
• Value behaviour: Price is driven by a combination of low circulation mintage, strong Olympic theme and crossover appeal to sports and Rio-themed collectors. Recent guides suggest:
  • Circulated: around £4–£7, with ~£6 a common benchmark for nice examples,
  • BU in pack: typically ~£40–£50, depending on condition and packaging.
• Collecting tip: For circulation pieces, aim for a coin with clear detail on both flags, a crisp baton and a fully legible “LONDON 2012 RIO 2016” legend, plus an edge inscription you can still read without squinting. For BU and proof coins, original Royal Mint packaging and certificates are a big deal for future resale.

Overall, the Olympic Games Handover to Rio £2 is a standout modern £2 – low mintage, strong design and a nice “bridge” piece linking London 2012 and Rio 2016 in one coin.