The 2012 Summer Games will see the return of 29 sports and will include 302 events. Baseball and Softball won't be part of the 2012 Olympic program. They are the first sports to be cut from the Games since Polo was dropped in 1936.
Normally, it’s M who assigns James Bond his next mission.
But when Britain needs 007 to declare the 2012 London Olympic Games open this coming July, guess who asked him to do it?
The thousand-year-old walled fortress of the Tower of London is usually a place where dark secrets are kept. But this morning, amidst a dazzling light and sound show, a bright secret, two years in the making, was finally revealed to the world.
The six coin Celebration series silver proof set features perhaps the most famous Englishman of all time: Sir Winston Churchill. At England's darkest hour he rallied the nation and turned what looked to the world to be sure defeat into "Britain's finest hour." Five more designs are yet to be released.
Each coin in the set has a low mintage of only 95,000 proofs and each struck in 28.28 grams of 92.5% sterling silver.
You are cordially invited to celebrate Great Britain with a first-ever Silver Proof set!
The Celebration of Britain £5 Silver Proof Collection is a gift that you can keep forever to cherish the feelings and the passion of London 2012. After all, the Olympic and Paralympic Games isn't just two weeks of sport, it's four years of anticipation and excitement and these coins are the perfect way to capture the spirit and pride of the nation.
The 18-coin collection celebrates all those things that make Britain great -- great minds, distinctive landscape, the vibrant spirit of British life -- and also, marking a momentous milestone in sporting history, captures the spirit of the nation as we prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The coins, all struck in sterling silver, are legal tender UK coins with a face value of £5. The collection has been officially endorsed by the Organizing Committee of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and every coin features the London 2012 Olympic insignia highlighted in full color. It is the first collection of its kind and will be a favorite with everyone who appreciates the best of Britain.
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Celebration Churchill Base Proof Pack
As a lasting tribute to one of Britain's greatest statesmen and orators, the Churchill Coin Pack is the perfect gift for those with an interest in British history or to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Britain's pride in our heritage.
If one word could sum up the spirit and character of Winston Churchill it would be courage. Paying tribute to Sir Winston Churchill, this limited edition legal tender £5 coin—an official London 2012 coin—is presented in an informative and illustrated pack. Struck to impeccable Proof quality—the highest standard of minting—this remarkable coin features an instantly recognizable portrait of the great man by Shane Greeves and forms part of Britain's build up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games while capturing the continuing spirit of pride of Great Britain. As with all UK legal tender coins, the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS appears on the obverse.
The inscription on the coin, 'Be daring, be first, be different, be just', is by the late British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner Dame Anita Roddick, and is a way of referring to the courage and qualities needed to be successful, whether in business or indeed in the sporting world, especially the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This quote both complements the image of Churchill and reflects the very essence of the Olympic Games as the world's Olympians 'go for gold'.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born on 30 November 1874. He was an officer in the British Army, an historian, a writer, and an artist. As well as his many political achievements, he left a legacy of an impressive number of publications and was the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1953) and the first person to be recognized as an Honorary Citizen of the United States. Upon his death on 24 January 1965, the Queen granted him the honor of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of statesmen in the world.
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Celebration Spirit Base Proof Pack
The Spirit of London Coin Pack is the perfect gift to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Britain's heritage.
The Spirit of London £5 coin has been struck by the Royal Mint specifically in celebration of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games while at the same time paying homage to the heritage of Britain and its people.
The Royal Mint is therefore proud to offer an official product of London 2012—a limited edition legal tender UK £5 coin featuring Buckingham Palace and The Mall and presented in an informative and illustrated pack. Struck to impeccable Proof quality—the highest standard of minting—this remarkable coin forms part of Britain's build up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games while capturing the continuing spirit of pride of the British. As with all UK legal tender coins, the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS appears on the obverse.
The inscription on the coin, 'Kind hearts are more than coronets', is by the nineteenth-century British poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It expresses the important role of ceremony that lies behind Britain's pageantry, while also remembering that the spirit of the nation is what gives Britain its character, just as the spirit of Olympians transcends any achievement.
Buckingham Palace is probably one of the most famous buildings in the world and is the official London residence of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Built in 1701 for the Duke of Buckinghamshire, Buckingham House, as it was then known, was purchased by George III in 1761. His son, George IV, set about converting the house into a palace, a work that was completed by his brother William IV. It was not until 1837, however, when Queen Victoria acceded to the throne, that the Palace became home to the Monarch and the official London residence of the British Royal family.
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Celebration Big Ben Base Proof Pack
Keeping time over the Palace of Westminster since 1859, Big Ben is perhaps Britain's most recognized symbol of democracy. The Royal Mint is therefore proud to have produced an official London 2012 coin—a limited edition legal tender UK £5 coin featuring the famous clock face and presented in an informative and illustrated pack. Struck to impeccable Proof quality—the highest standard of minting—this remarkable coin forms part of Britain's build up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games while capturing the continuing spirit of pride among the British. As with all UK legal tender coins, the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS appears on the obverse.
Designer Shane Greeves worked closely with the Royal Mint Engraving Team to produce this special coin that combines a stirring quote with a symbolic image to encapsulate the emotion, the wonders and greatness of Britain and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The clock face of the Palace of Westminster symbolizes democracy and the key role Britain has played through its Parliament in bringing democracy to the world.
'This design plays on a different view of the famous clock face. As Big Ben is so recognizable the world over, taking a different view gives it an unusual, but still recognizable aspect.' Shane Greeves, Designer.
The inscription on the coin, 'Nations touch at their summits', is by the nineteenth-century British businessman, essayist and journalist Walter Bagehot and is a way of referring to the Olympic Games as the pinnacle of sporting achievement as well as to Westminster as the symbol of a nation.
The name Big Ben is often associated with the Clock Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell, although it was to the Great Bell only that the name originally applied. Construction of the Clock Tower began in September 1843 and was completed 16 years later. Big Ben first struck time with the Great Clock on 11 July 1859. This iconic tower stands today in the Houses of Parliament, a true landmark and emotive and powerful symbol of Britain.
