Posts Tagged ‘Commonwealth Games’
How the Commonwealth Games started £2 Coin Collecting
In 2014 the Royal Mint struck a new circulating coin for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. But I can still remember back to the summer of 1986…
My father worked for a bank. He came home one evening with half a dozen coins in his hands. “I bet you don’t know what these are…”, he said. “They’re the new £2 coin. They’ve been released to celebrate the Commonwealth Games.”
The Royal Mint struck the circulation Commonwealth Games 50p on 25 May 2014
A new denomination for the UK
This was something genuinely new. The only “commemorative” coin in circulation was that slightly odd “hands” 50 pence that no-one really knew much about and there had only been two commemorative crowns issued in the last 20 years – both for Royal events.
The 1996 Commonwealth Games £2 coin changed the face of UK commemorative coins.
This was a brand new denomination and it commemorated a proper non-royal national event that really engaged the nation. Although the 1986 Commonwealth Game coin was largely kept by collectors and never really entered mass circulation, it marked a significant change in the UK’s commemorative coin issuing strategy.
Six more single-coloured commemorative £2 coins were struck over the next 10 years before the introduction of the fully circulating £2 denomination, which has now seen 50 different designs issued.
Of course, amongst those 50 coins are four coins from 2002 – again issued to celebrate the Commonwealth Games – this time held in Manchester. At first glance, you might struggle to spot the difference between them. They all feature the same running athlete trailing a banner behind. But each has a different cameo, representing each of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. Find out how to tell these coins apart here >>
Officially the UK’s rarest £2 coin
They are some of the scarcest £2 coins now in circulation, with even the largest mintage (Scotland) set at just 771,750 – just 17% of the first ever commemorative bimetallic £2 coin, which was issued for the Rugby World Cup in 1999.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 coins are some of the rarest ever issued. Their mintage figures are shown below each design.
But the coin you really need to be looking out for is the Northern Ireland £2. Just 485,000 coins were ever struck making it officially the UK’s rarest £2 coin.
75% disappear from circulation
Of course, the 2014 Commonwealth Games coin is a 50p, rather than the previous £2 coins. But with the Royal Mint estimating that as many as 75% of all Olympic 50ps being kept by collectors, it’s definitely worth scouring your change for.
Own the Commonwealth Games coin that started £2 collecting
This coin is no longer in circulation, but we’re giving you the chance to own the UK 1986 Commonwealth Games £2 for your collection.
Royal Mint announce new coins for 2014…
The new UK coins for 2014 have been revealed, and are set to enter circulation this year. Here we take a closer look at the themes behind them, and why 2014 is another significant year for the coinage of the United Kingdom.
This new WWI £2 will enter circulation in 2014
£2 – The First World War
2014 will of course be the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, and the Royal Mint has committed to a five-year commemoration of the emotive wartime journey from outbreak to armistice. It starts with a £2 coin bearing sculptor John Bergdahl’s depiction of Lord Kitchener’s unmistakable call to arms. The image of the British Secretary of War and his finger pointing at the reader still evokes an enormous sense of British identity and pride, and the coin also features the immortal words YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU.
Trinity House celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2014
£2 – Trinity House
Since being granted a Royal Charter in 1514 by Henry VIII, Trinity House has safeguarded the coastal waters of Britain for over 500 years. Maritime safety became crucial in the 16th Century as Britain began flexing its naval strength overseas. And today, with 95% of the UK’s imports still arriving by sea, the Trinity House pilot ships and lighthouses are still as important today as ever. The reverse design of this new £2 coin features a striking depiction of a lighthouse lens – an enduring symbol of the the safety which Trinity House still provides at sea.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow
50p – Commonwealth Games
In 1986 the Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, and the £2 of that year became the first coin in British history to commemorate a sporting event. Now, as Scotland gears up for the Games again in 2014, a new 50p to mark the occasion has been announced. The 20th Commonwealth Games will see thousands of athletes competing in 17 sports across 11 days in Glasgow. In this new reverse design, two of the most iconic sports – athletics and cycling – have been combined with a section of the St Andrews cross.
£1 – Floral Emblems
2013 saw the start of a £1 coin series celebrating the floral emblems of the British Isles designed by Timothy Noad. Completing the series in 2014 is the flax plant and shamrock to represent Northern Ireland, whilst the thistle and bluebell are portrayed on the Scottish version.
You can now collect all five designs straight from your change with the FREE Change Checker 2014 Coin Collecting Pack.
