Celebrate Samuel Pepys in Gold

The diary of Samuel Pepys is a rich historical source and its author is seen as one of the great diarists. From the first page of Pepys’ diary we are drawn into scenes of life at the time of the Restoration. His eyewitness accounts of great events like the coronation of Charles II and the horrors of the Great Fire of London and the Great Plague appear alongside reports on his day-to-day business, leisure and home life. His observations of events and people are so vivid because he intended them to be private, as shown by the fact that he kept the diary in shorthand.

Pepys brought his diary to a close on 31 May 1669, fearing he was losing his sight. Now, 350 years after the last diary entry, The Royal Mint has struck a £2 coin in gold to celebrate this moment and the man himself.