£2 Coins
Happy Birthday to the £2 coin!
Today marks 20 years since the bi-metallic £2 coins were released into circulation. So to celebrate our much loved £2 coins, we’ve taken a look back at the history of the £2 coin.
£2 coins have been in circulation since 1986, when a commemorative coin was issued to mark the XIII Commonwealth Games. Although these coins are legal tender, they were never common in everyday circulation.
Commonwealth Games £2 issued in 1986.
Following a review of the United Kingdom’s coinage, the decision was made that a general-circulation £2 coin was needed and so the new bi-metallic coin was introduced on the 15th June 1998.
This was the first time bi-metallic coinage was used in the UK.
The first ‘Technology’ £2 coins were designed by Bruce Rushin using concentric circles to represent mankind’s technological evolution from the Iron Age at the centre, to the cogs and wheels in the first ring representing the Industrial Revolution. The next ring symbolises the computer age with a pattern derived from a silicon chip and the final outer ring represents the age of the Internet with a connecting web of lines.
The ‘Technology’ coin was the first bi-metallic £2 and was designed by Bruce Rushin
The Queen with a Necklace £2
The first of these ‘Technology’ £2 coins were actually dated 1997 which earned the coin the nickname the ‘Queen with a Necklace’ £2 which has an enduring legacy in the collecting world. As the first bi-metallic £2 coins were issued in 1997, just prior to the Queen’s portrait change in 1998, this meant that the older portrait by Raphael Maklouf was only used for one year: 1997.
1997 ‘Queen with a necklace’ portrait designed by Raphael Maklouf.
His version featured Queen Elizabeth II wearing a necklace, which is how the nickname was derived and they were snapped up by collectors on release in the belief they would go on to become a future rarity. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and as it turned out, the coin had a mintage of nearly 14 million.
There are a few stories which crop up more often than others, and to help dispel some of the myths about the £2 coins you can find in your change, you can read our blog here.
This Technology design was used on £2 coins every year from 1997 until 2015 when it was replaced by Britannia. Britannia has a long standing history with British coinage having first appeared on a 1672 Farthing during the reign of Charles II. Antony Dufort’s modern interpretation of Britannia features on Britain’s highest denomination circulating coin, the £2, which was a very popular move from The Royal Mint.
What’s so special about the 2015 Britannia £2?
Antony Dufort’s modern interpretation of Britannia.
However, it wasn’t until 2016 when The Mint released the mintage figures for the 2015 coins that the real surprise was unveiled.
Only 650,000 of the 2015 date Britannia £2 coins had been stuck for circulation, making it one of the most scarce UK £2 coins ever! So scarce in fact that there were fewer of this coin than the England and the Scotland coins from the famous 2002 Commonwealth Games series.
The UK 2015 Britannia £2 Coin
Own one of the most-scarce circulating £2 coins ever issued
This first-year 2015 £2 Britannia is already one of the most-scarce circulating £2 coins ever issued with just 650,000 coins passing through banks and cash centres.
That places it third equal in the all-time low mintage charts!
Embark on a Voyage with the Captain Cook £2 Coin Collection
In the summer of 1768, British explorer, Captain Cook set sail for the ‘Great South Land’ on his famous Voyage of Discovery.
250 years on, The Royal Mint announced they would be commemorating Captain Cook’s extraordinary travels with a unique coin series to feature three beautifully designed £2 coins.
A treasure map to a secret design
Just like a treasure map, when all three coins in the collection are placed together, Gary Breeze’s design of Cook’s famous ship, HM Bark Endeavour, can be seen in full.
Voyage of Discovery
Cook’s great expeditions to the South Seas had a hidden agenda – carrying secret orders from the British Admiralty who hoped for him to discover ‘a Continent or Land of great extent’ to take possession of ‘in the Name of the King of Great Britain’.
On each epic journey, Cook made spectacular discoveries which expanded the understanding of the world beyond known horizons. Artefacts such as maps, logs, paintings and journals recorded during Cook’s voyages revealed a new and exciting world, transforming the European view of the Pacific Ocean.
Image Credit: Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
By 1770, his first voyage aboard the Endeavour brought Cook to the southern coast of New South Wales and from there he continued northwards, charting Australia’s eastern coastline. On the 22nd August 1770, Captain Cook fulfilled his mission and claimed the eastern Australian continent for Great Britain.
However, the intrepid voyager did not stop there. He embarked upon two more expeditions in 1772 and 1776 to find an inhabited southern continent in the Antarctic Circle and a passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Captain Cook £2 Collection
The first Captain Cook £2 was issued in 2018 to mark 250 years since the first leg of his journey. The design, serving as the first piece of the ‘puzzle’, features the stern section of HM Bark Endeavour over a map of Plymouth Sound with Captain Cook’s signature and the dates 1768-2018.
The second coin in the series was issued in 2019 to mark the 250th anniversary of Cook reaching New Zealand in 1869. The reverse design features the midships section of HM Bark Endeavour below a celestial image of the Transit of Venus and the dates 1769-2019.
The final piece of the puzzle design was issued in 2020, featuring the bow section of HM Bark Endeavour in front of a map of Botany Bay and New Zealand and the dates 1770-2020. This coin marked 250 years since Cook discovered the eastern coast of Australia and claimed it for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales.
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New £2 coin to enter circulation to celebrate the royal wedding
When Kensington Palace confirmed the news that Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle will marry on the 19th May, the nation rejoiced.
And whilst only close family and friends will attend the wedding in less than two weeks time, millions of people will tune in to watch the ceremony on television.
The event will go down in history.
And to mark the occasion, a special commemorative £2 coin has been issued.
Limited number to enter circulation
The new coin has been authorised by the Isle of Man Treasury and has received official approval from Buckingham Palace. But what makes this coin even more special, is the fact that it is the VERY FIRST time that a British Isles specification bi-metallic £2 coin has been struck to mark such a significant royal event such as this.
This official Royal Wedding £2 features two St George’s Chapel bells, engraved with the couple’s official names – HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle.
Most importantly, this coin has been authorised by the Isle of Man Treasury, has full legal status AND a very limited number will enter circulation in the Isle of Man, so Isle of Man based Change Checkers are about to become the envy of collectors everywhere.
The FIRST EVER royal bi-metallic £2 coin
This is the very first time a British Isles standard specification bi-metallic £2 coin has ever been chosen to mark a royal event, so we expect this coin to be extremely popular. And as we already know, coins from the British Isles rarely turn up in our change in the UK, making them some of the most sought-after circulating coins around.
The design depicts two St George’s Chapel bells, engraved with the couples official names – HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle. The Isle of Man Coat of Arms is at the top of the coin with and ornate pattern engraved around the outer edge.
As the first major Royal occasion to feature on any British Isles standard specification £2 coins, this is a very significant moment.
The Happy Couple
It’s reported that Harry and Meghan first met when they went on a blind date in July 2016 after being introduced by a mutual friend.
Prince Harry with his fiancée, Meghan Markle.Alexi Lubomirski / AFP – Getty Images
After four months of secretly dating, the news finally leaked in October 2016 that Prince Harry was dating an American actress.
Harry confirmed his relationship with Meghan on the 8th November, 2016, when he demanded that news outlets respect her privacy.
After months of speculation, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally announced their engagement on the 27th November, 2017.
The Wedding Day
HRH Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle will marry on the 19th May, 2018. The marriage will take place in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 12pm.
The couple will marry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Interestingly their decision to wed on a Saturday goes against tradition, as royal weddings usually take place on a weekday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed on a Friday and the Queen on a Thursday.
Kensington Palace has said that “around 600” guests will be in attendance, a small crowd compared to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who wed in front of 1,900 guests.
It’s widely suggested that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be page boy and flower girl.
After the marriage service, Harry and Meghan will undertake a carriage procession from St George’s Chapel through Windsor town returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk.
Secure the FIRST EVER royal bi-metallic £2 coin for your collection today
Secure the brand new Isle of Man Royal Wedding £2 coin today in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for £8.99.
Of course your coin will also be protectively encapsulated and certified with a hologram to guarantee its superior quality.
Add this historic Royal coin to your collection today >>