United Kingdom £2 Coin

Background Information

The first £2 coins

The first base metal £2 coin was issued in the United Kingdom in 1986 to commemorate the Thirteenth Commonwealth Games which that year were held in Scotland. Commemorative £2 coins continued to be issued in single colour nickel-brass for special occasions.

The introduction of the bi-colour £2 coin

After a review of the United Kingdom coinage in 1994, it emerged that there was a requirement for a general circulation £2 coin. A consultation process took place with the vending machine industry, members of the public and special interest groups such as the RNIB and Age Concern. The consensus of opinion from the consultation favoured a bi-colour coin because it would be easily distinguishable from the other coins in circulation.

A new design was required for the reverse and it was decided to proceed by way of a competition open to members of the general public. The winning artist, Bruce Rushin, an art teacher from Norfolk, based his design on a series of concentric circles telling the story, through symbolic devices, of technological development from the Iron Age to the Industrial Revolution and from the Computer Age to the Internet.

An appropriate edge inscription had to be chosen before the recommended design could be submitted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and then to the Queen for approval. The words that were eventually chosen were taken from a letter written in 1676 by Isaac Newton to his fellow scientist Robert Hooke, acknowledging the debt he owed to others, 'if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants'

Originally the intention was to issue the £2 coin in November 1997 and millions of coins were struck with the Raphael Maklouf portrait of the Queen on the obverse in readiness for launch. Concerns, however, emerged from the vending industry prior to the issue date. Production was placed on hold whilst further tests were carried out and resumed in 1998, featuring the new portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley on the obverse.

The £2 coin was eventually launched on 15 June 1998, when millions of both versions of the coin were released. Because of the two different portraits, however, many confusing stories have arisen. The most common misconception is that the £2 coin bearing the Raphael Maklouf portrait of the Queen in which she is wearing a necklace, was made in very modest numbers, Since millions of these coins were minted this is simply not the case.

The £2 coin is legal tender for any amount.

Coin Image	Year of Issue	Edge Inscription	Theme/Design/Designer Information
	1997	STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS	History of Technological Achievement Design in four concentric circles depicts mankind's industrial and technological progress from the Iron Age to the Internet designed by Bruce Rushin
	1999	Rugby World Cup 1999	Rugby World Cup Design depicts a stadium, on which is superimposed a rugby ball and goalpost. The date '1999' above separated by goal-posts from the value 'TWO POUNDS' below designed by Ron Dutton
	2001	WIRELESS BRIDGES THE ATLANTIC...MARCONI 1901...	100th Anniversary of Marconi's 1st Wireless Transmission across the Atlantic Radio waves decorating centre and outer border while a spark of electricity linking the zeros of the date represents the generation of the signal designed by Robert Evans
	2002	SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP,MANCHESTER 2002	XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester Stylised figure of an athlete holding a banner and the inscription XVII Commonwealth Games 2002 designed by Matthew Bonaccorsi
	2003	DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID	50th Anniversary of the discovery of DNA A representation of the double helical structure of DNA with the words DNA Double Helix above and 'TWO POUNDS' and the dates '1953-2003' below designed by John Mills
	2004	Is milled with an incuse railway line motif.	200th Anniversary of the first steam locomotive by Richard Trevithick A representation of a steam locomotive engine with the words 'TWO POUNDS' above and inside a cog wheel, the words R.TREVITHICK 1804 INVENTION INDUSTRY PROGRESS 2004 as a circumscription designed by Robert Lowe
	2005	REMEMBER REMEMBER FIFTH OF NOVEMBER	400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot An arrangement of crossiers, maces and swords surrounded by stars and the dates 1605 & 2005. Denomination TWO POUNDS below. Designed by Peter Forster
	2005	In Victory Magnanimity in Peace Goodwill	Design depicts St Paul's Cathedral illuminated by searchlights and the value 'TWO POUNDS' sbove and the dates 1945-2005 below. Designed by Bob Elderton
	2006	SO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE	Design Depiction of a section of the roof of Paddington Station with the dates 2006 above and the name BRUNEL to the right and the denomination TWO POUNDS below Designed by Robert Evans
	2006	1806-1859 ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL ENGINEER	Design A portrait of Isambard Kingdom Brunel with two of his engineering achievments, encircled by a chain with the denomination TWO POUNDS above and the date 2006 below Designed by Rod Kelly
	2007	UNITED INTO ONE KINGDOM	Tercentenary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland A design dividing the coin into four quarters, with a rose and a thistle occupying two of the quarters and a portcullis in each of the other two quarters. The whole design is overlaid with a linking jigsaw motif and surrounded by the dates "1707" and "2007", and the denomination "TWO POUNDS" Designed by Yvonne Holton
	2007	AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER	Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the British Empire The date "1807" with the "0" depicted as a broken chain link, surrounded by the inscription "AN ACT FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE" and the date "2007" Designed by David Gentleman
	2008	I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD	Olympic Handover Ceremony Designed by The Royal Mint Engraving Team
	2008	THE 4TH OLYMPIAD LONDON	The Centenary of the London Olympic Games of 1908 Designed by Thomas T Docherty
	2009	SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT	250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns Designed by The Royal Mint Engraving Team
	2009	ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 1859	200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth Designed by Suzie Zamit
	2010	150 YEARS OF NURSING	100th Anniversary of the death of Florence Nightingale Designed by Gordon Summers

Coin Image	Year of Issue	Edge Inscription	Theme/Design/Designer Information
	1986	XIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES JULY 1986	XIII Commonwealth Games Cross of St Andrew, crown of laurel leaves and Scottish Thistle designed by Norman Sillman
	1989	Milled	Tercentenary of the Bill of Rights and Claim of Right Cypher of 'W&M' (King William and Queen Mary) interlaced surmounting a horizontal Parliamentary Mace and representation of the Royal Crown above and the dates 1689 and 1989 below, all within the inscription 'Tercentenary of the Bill of Rights' or 'Tercentenary of Claim of Right' (latter Scotland only) designed by John Lobban
	1994	SIC VOS NON VOBIS (thus you labour but not for yourselves)	Tercentenary of the Bank of England The Bank's Corporate Seal including the Crown and Cypher of King William and Queen Mary and the dates 1694 ? 1994 designed by Leslie Durbin
	1995	1945 IN PEACE GOODWILL 1995	50th Anniversary of the end of The Second World War A stylised representation of a Dove as the symbol of peace designed by John Mills
	1995	Milled	50th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations 50th anniversary symbol of United Nations and a fanning pattern of flags with the inscription NATIONS UNITED FOR PEACE above and the dates '1945-1995' below designed by Michael Rizzello
	1996	TENTH EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP	10th European Football Championship A stylised representation of a football, with the date of 1996 centrally placed and encircled by sixteen small rings designed by John Mills