After a remarkable 25 years in circulation, the marvellous UK £2 coin has become a hidden treasure within our everyday change. With its enduring popularity, this staple of UK currency has captured the attention of enthusiasts around the UK, transforming it into a highly sought-after collectable. In this article, we will explore the history behind the coin and discover the nine rarest £2 coins to be produced by The Royal Mint.

A Brief History of the £2 Coin

First conceived in 1994 as a requirement for general circulation, the £2 coin released by The Royal Mint in 1998 revolutionised the United Kingdom’s currency. With the largest diameter of any UK circulating coin and a bimetallic composition, the £2 coin was an accessible coin. The benefit of such a wide breadth not only distinguished the new coin from others, by making it identifiable by the blind and visually impaired, but also created the perfect canvas for design and ingenuity.

Since its release in 1998, the bimetallic £2 coin has captured the imagination of the public and collectors alike. Boasting more than 50 commemorative designs honouring notable achievements and events in British history, the £2 coin has evolved into a coveted collectable.

Emerging as the first in a collection of designs celebrating some of the scientific and cultural milestones of the nation, the Technology design, produced as the result of an open competition in 1996, marked the coin’s debut. The design set a significant precedent for the series by displaying an abstract representation of the UK’s technological progress from the Iron Age to the dawn of the Internet.

Commemorative £2 Coin Designs

More recently, the collection has continued to grow, celebrating the contributions of esteemed figures such as William Shakespeare in 2016 and Charles Darwin in 2009, whilst commemorating events including Olympic and Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Unsurprisingly, the £2 coin has garnered widespread popularity due to its array of designs and the different editions of the coin often find themselves minted in limited quantities, making them even more highly sought after amongst collectors.

Let’s take a look at the rarest £2 coins produced by The Royal Mint:

• 9. Olympic Games Handover 2008
• 8. Olympic Games 2008
• 7. Olympic Games Handover 2012
• 6. Commonwealth Games, Scotland 2002
• 5. Commonwealth Games, England 2002
• 4. Britannia Fifth Portrait 2015
• 3. First World War Royal Navy Fifth Portrait 2015
• 2. Commonwealth Games, Wales 2002
• 1. Commonwealth Games, Northern Ireland 2002
• Historical Commemorative £2 Coins