Posts Tagged ‘£2’
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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The race is on for two BRAND NEW 2018 International Isle of Man TT £2 coins
Each year during May and June, the Isle of Man proudly hosts the International Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle event.
Since its inaugural race in 1907, the event has traditionally been a time-trial and is known by motoring enthusiasts world-wide as the ultimate road race.
This year, over 45,000 motorcycle racing fanatics from around the world are set to make their way to the Isle of Man to be in the heart of the action as they watch the unforgettable TT races.
‘Mike the Bike’ – Mike Hailwood, 14 time winner of the Isle of Man TT. Credit: www.motorcyclenews.com
Commemorating motoring legend, ‘Mike the Bike’
2018 celebrates 60 years since fan favourite, ‘Mike the Bike’ first raced the International Isle of Man TT and 40 years since he returned to the event.
Mike Haliwood secured 14 Isle of Man victories during his racing career and his triumphant return to the TT has been described as ‘one of the most emotional moments of 20th century sport’.
To mark this special anniversary year, two £2 coin designs have been officially licensed by the Isle of Man TT with the support of the Mike Haliwood foundation which promotes the TT Races and attracts new riding talent to the meeting.
Only 3,000 of each coin to enter circulation on the Isle of Man
The designs for the 2018 Isle of Man TT £2 coins reference the motorcycle races and Mike Hailwood’s legendary Ducati.
These limited edition £2 coins will be found on the Isle of Man, with only 3,000 entering circulation.
The 2015 Isle of Man TT 50p sold for £500 on eBay. Credit: express.co.uk
In 2015, an Isle of Man TT 50p was released and proved to be extremely popular with collectors, with one selling for £500 on eBay earlier this year.
Due to the popularity of the previous TT coin, we expect that these £2 will be very sought-after by collectors.
And, with only a very limited number entering circulation on the Isle of Man, Isle of Man based Change Checkers are sure to become the envy of collectors everywhere!
Secure your BRAND NEW 2018 International Isle of Man TT £2 coins!
We are delighted to offer these very sought-after coins in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £15.99 (+£2.99p&p), so that you don’t miss out on owning these very limited Isle of Man £2 coins for your collection.