16 year old Theo Crutchley-Mack makes history as his 50p coin design featuring a cyclist racing in a velodrome is selected by the Royal Mint!
Yorkshire pupil wins London 2012 design competition
9 Feb 2010
Theo Crutchley-Mack beat off competition from more than 3,000 entries in the UK-wide secondary school competition with his design featuring a rider racing a bike in a Velodrome. He becomes the first teenager ever to design a British coin.
The competition ran as part of the ‘Culture and Creativity' strand of Get Set.
Commenting on his win, Theo said: “I’m still in shock. I think I need a bit more time for it to sink in. To imagine my coin design is going to be in everyone’s hands is unbelievable. I’ve just finished my GCSE mock exams and I wish I’d have known about this earlier – I could have used my coin design as part of my GSCE art coursework! I’m really looking forward to going to the Royal Mint next week to see my coin being produced.”
Dave Knight, The Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin, announced the win at a surprise assembly at Theo’s school, Rishworth School in Halifax.
Mr Knight said: ‘Theo is passionate about cycling and it showed in his design. The judges were impressed by the sense of speed, drama and excitement he managed to capture in his entry.’
Theo’s creation is the second in a series of 29 officially licensed London 2012 50p commemorative coins, designed by members of the public as lasting mementos of the London 2012 Games. Each coin in the series depicts a different Olympic and Paralympic sport, with the remaining 27 coins to be revealed Autumn 2010.
Theo’s cycling design will be found on millions of 50p coins in people’s change from September this year, when The Royal Mint’s London 2012 50p series goes into general circulation.
