The Olympics head to Paris soon, held for the 33rd time in the modern age, and they’re joined for the 17th time by the Paralympics. Since 2012, when they were held in London, the Royal Mint has released a coin celebrating the British athletes that have taken part, often performing way above expectations, especially in the field of Paralympics, for those with disabilities.

The fourth such release debuts today, and to be honest, we’re really impressed with it. The 57-year-old Cyprus native, Charis Tsevis, who has a history of digital mosaic art, most famously his portraits of Steve Jobs early this century, has done a sterling job portraying an Olympian, and a Paralympian in a super-dynamic pose, using his signature style. The Paralympian is wearing one of those incredible blades made famous by the infamous South African athlete, Oscar Pistorius. The classic and instantly recognisable British Union flag dominates the background. Just at the bottom, set inside the English Cross of St. George, is a small silhouette of the Eiffel Tower, representing the location of the games.

There are three variants in the range (as well as a pair of base metal coins), and as a seven-sided fifty pence coin, they all share a fixed diameter of 27.3 mm. The 22kt gold coin is uncoloured, and still looks good. The coloured sterling silver design is available in standard and piedfort variants, the latter utilising its double weight entirely for double thickness. All are boxed with a COA, and available later today. A surprisingly appealing release in a style we hope isn’t subsumed into AI by some scummy mega-corp soon,

As an aside, if you want to help AgAuNEWS, I’m selling a gold 2009 Royal Mint Olympic £5 coin at Minted-UK. Give it a look if your interest is piqued. Owned by me since new. If you want to buy today’s release, please click the banner ad below, and we get a tiny commission at no cost to you.

PRESS RELEASE

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. Under the banners of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, British athletes have continued to shine on the world stage, garnering acclaim, glory and admiration from generations of sports fans across the world.

The icons and legends of Team GB and ParalympicsGB have long been forces to be reckoned with on the global stage and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will undoubtedly provide more incredible moments of sporting history. Join us as we proudly celebrate this group of talented athletes and para-athletes with a new coin design in their honour.

Designed by Charis Tsevis, the reverse of the coin includes mosaic artwork that features both a Team GB athlete and ParalympicsGB para-athlete side by side backed by the Union flag. The design will be struck on a UK coin available in a variety of editions, including gold Proof and silver Proof editions, as well as two Brilliant Uncirculated editions.