18 August 2025
|
The £2 coin has been in circulation since 1997 and over the years there has been over 50 different designs, many of which can still be found in your change, and some of which are rare and worth looking out for. Find out more with our guide to rare £2 coins.
The Royal Mint produced the £2 coin in 1997, but they did not put it into circulation until 1998. And since then, there have been many different designs featured on the reverse of the coin.
The £2 coin was Britain’s first bi-metallic coin. The outer ring consists of copper, zinc and nickel and the inner disc consists of copper and nickel. The initial design, by Bruce Rushin, was an abstract image representing the history of technological achievements. It had the text ‘TWO POUNDS’ above and the year written below.
The Royal Mint created the first commemorative £2 coin for the Rugby World Cup in 1999. It has issued special editions almost every year since. But what are the rarest £2 coins of all time? We are going to break down the top 5 here.
Suggested article: Your Guide to the Rugby World Cup £2 Coin
1 Commonwealth Games 2002
England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales Commonwealth coins all feature in the rarest £2 coin list. The only way to differentiate between each coin is by the small flag in the design of each coin. Make sure to look out for the Northern Ireland flag to get yourself the rarest circulation £2 coin, with a mintage of 485,500.
England had a mintage of 650,500, Scotland’s was 771,750 and Wales was 588,500.
The values can vary depending on supply, demand and condition. The Northern Ireland coins are valued at the highest out of the 4 with £35-£40. Whereas Wales, Scotland and England are between £10-£15.
2 WW1 Royal Navy Fifth Portrait 2015
This coin honoured the Royal Navy’s role in the First World War. David Rowland designed the image of the HMS Royal Oak, and many have said it is a powerful image. Inscribed on one side is “THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918” and on the reverse it says, “THE SURE SHIELD OF BRITAIN.” This reinforces the coin’s tribute to national resilience and features the 5th and final coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Royal Navy Fifth Portrait has a mintage of 650,000 and its value remains around the face value of £2. While it is still a low mintage, there are other WW1 coins with a lower mintage meaning the value of this coin has not had a chance to rise.
3 Britannia Fifth Portrait 2015
The Britannia Fifth Portrait became a quick hit for collectors as it blended tradition with modern. Collectors also love it because of its historical significance and design. Antony Dufort’s design brought Britannia back to UK circulation. This replaced the technology design that was on £2 coins since 1997.
The mintage of this coin is 650,000, which is still a relatively low mintage. The circulated edition is still worth £2; however, the Brilliant Uncirculated edition is valued around £27.
4 Olympic Games Handover 2012
This coin commemorated the handover of the Olympic games from London to Rio de Janeiro. The image of two hands with one handing over a relay baton was designed by Jonathan Olliffe. Framed by the flags of the UK and Brazil. Written around the image was “I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD.”
The mintage of this coin is slightly higher than the others with a mintage of 845,000. The original coin is valued around £6 currently, but many collectors believe it should be higher. Some coin dealers have listed the coin at around £1,500, particularly the gold proof version.
5 Olympic Games Handover 2008
This coin was created to represent the transition from Bejing 2008 to London 2012. The image was designed by Thomas T. Docherty and shows the flag being handed from one hand to another. The years are boldly displayed around the side and on the reverse, it states “I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD” which was then reused as the inscription for the following handover.
The mintage of this coin is also higher at 918,000 and it is valued ever so slightly higher at £5.50. However, having gone up to £5.50 in 17 years, there is still room for increase in value in the next 20 years or so. So hang onto the coin if you have one!!
Other notable mentions:
1. King James Bible (2011), mintage: 975,000 – which is worth £5
2. Olympic Games of 1908 (2008), mintage: 910,000 – which is worth £5
3. Mary Rose (2011), mintage: 1,040,000 – which is worth £5
4. London Underground logo (2013), mintage: 1,560,000 – which is worth £4
Images found at The Royal Mint
For more details on different coins, subscribe to Stamp Collector inc Coin Collector now!