Fencing
Fencing: Ruth Summerfield
What got you interested in the competition?
I decided to enter the competition when I was working a night shift at the hospital where I work, on my break I was reading the paper and saw the advert so I worked on it during breaks on my night shift and came up with the coin I designed.
What was the inspiration behind your idea?
I don’t play any sport myself but I have a friend who fences and which gave me the initial idea and I tried to pick a sport where the body makes interesting and dramatic shapes as I thought it would translate well onto a coin.
How does it feel to know your coin is going to be in the pockets of millions of people for years to come?
The most exciting thing I think is that I can go to my local supermarket, get my change and there is something that I have made in my hand is the best bit and the fact that it will be in circulation for a long time for me is the most exciting part of it..
How do you feel about being part of the London 2012 Olympic Games?
This is a different way to be involved in the Olympics I’m not a sports woman and my family of boys are sports mad, they play it and watch it and I don’t so it’s nice to be involved in it with something that I’m good at rather than sport which I’m not very good at.
In 2022 Ruth Summerfield got in touch with the Museum and we were able to ask her some more questions about her design
How do you feel about the competition a decade later?
I still view winning the Olympic 50p design competition as one of the greatest achievements of my life along with completing a marathon and gaining a medical degree (I should probably add in marrying my husband!). However, this is the only achievement that will live on after I am gone and it still absolutely delights me that I’ve contributed to a tiny piece of UK history.
Have you seen your design in circulation very often?
After the competition, I started collecting 50p pieces and I still check every coin in my change. I have received other Olympic 50p’s in my change, but never my own. For a while after the competition, I had people phone me saying “I got one of your coins in my change” but this hasn’t happened for awhile and I think a lot have been taken out of circulation by collectors so you don’t see them as frequently now.
What significance does the design hold to you now?
As I don’t have kids of my own, I am planning to leave my gold version of the coin to my goddaughter who has taken up fencing, as has her older sister and they are both very good. Their Dad, my friend Ed, is an excellent fencer and this was partly why I picked the sport back when the competition opened in 2009. I think it has special significance for my goddaughter that she participates in the sport featured in my design and it is my hope that she passes it on to either her children or significant young people in her life in the future. Maybe it will feature in a futuristic antiques valuation show in 100 years. You never know!