Congratulations to nine-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol who has made history by becoming the first child to design a reverse for a legal tender United Kingdom coin. Yesterday Royal Mint announced her winning design for the Blue Peter Design-a-50p Competition - chosen from over 17,000 entries - celebrates Athletics and will take its place in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 50p collections, a collection of 29 coins with special reverses designed by the nation.
Launched in January 2009, the Blue Peter Competition gave the children of the UK the chance to design a 50 pence coin to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The competition was open to children aged between six and 12 and was to focus on the sport of Athletics. A record-breaking 17,000 entries were received at the Royal Mint. They were split into three age groups and a selection from each group was chosen by a panel of judges made up of independent experts, representatives of the Royal Mint, the BBC, London 2012 and the International Olympics Committee. Selected entries were then put before the Royal Mint Advisory Committee and the chosen winning entry was then approved by the Treasury and Her Majesty The Queen.
Florence was joined by Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis and Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere at the Royal Mint to strike her first coin and looks forward to seeing her winning design on millions of 50p coins next year.
"It was amazing to visit the Royal Mint and see my picture turned into a coin. I can’t wait to see it in my pocket money!". She will also receive a gold Proof 50p coin featuring her own artwork.
Florence chose to show a high jumper because "I had watched it on TV before and thought it looked fun".
Denise Lewis was pleased to help Florence celebrate her win: "Florence has done all Olympians and Paralympians proud. Her design is simple and effective and I’m honoured to say I saw it first. Florence is a very deserving winner and her coin is a great illustration of how everyone can be a part of London 2012".
Florence’s winning design is the first in a series of 29 officially licensed London 2012 50p designs by the nation that will act as lasting mementoes of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the UK’s most significant sporting event for this generation. The remaining 28 designs - the result of the Royal Mint’s biggest ever competition for the public to design the UK’s coinage - will be revealed early next year. Each coin will represent one of the 29 sports scheduled to take place at London 2012.
Launched in January 2009, the Blue Peter Competition gave the children of the UK the chance to design a 50 pence coin to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The competition was open to children aged between six and 12 and was to focus on the sport of Athletics. A record-breaking 17,000 entries were received at the Royal Mint. They were split into three age groups and a selection from each group was chosen by a panel of judges made up of independent experts, representatives of the Royal Mint, the BBC, London 2012 and the International Olympics Committee. Selected entries were then put before the Royal Mint Advisory Committee and the chosen winning entry was then approved by the Treasury and Her Majesty The Queen.
Florence was joined by Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis and Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere at the Royal Mint to strike her first coin and looks forward to seeing her winning design on millions of 50p coins next year."It was amazing to visit the Royal Mint and see my picture turned into a coin. I can’t wait to see it in my pocket money!". She will also receive a gold Proof 50p coin featuring her own artwork.
Florence chose to show a high jumper because "I had watched it on TV before and thought it looked fun".
Denise Lewis was pleased to help Florence celebrate her win: "Florence has done all Olympians and Paralympians proud. Her design is simple and effective and I’m honoured to say I saw it first. Florence is a very deserving winner and her coin is a great illustration of how everyone can be a part of London 2012".
Florence’s winning design is the first in a series of 29 officially licensed London 2012 50p designs by the nation that will act as lasting mementoes of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the UK’s most significant sporting event for this generation. The remaining 28 designs - the result of the Royal Mint’s biggest ever competition for the public to design the UK’s coinage - will be revealed early next year. Each coin will represent one of the 29 sports scheduled to take place at London 2012.Denomination: 50 Pence
Composition: Alloy Cupro-nickel
Weight: 8 gms
Diameter: 27.3 mm
Designer: (Reverse) Florence Jackson
