Celebrate a landmark moment in British sport with the 2002 UK XVII Commonwealth Games £2 coin for England, issued to mark the Games held in Manchester. This commemorative coin honours ten days of international competition, friendship and sporting achievement, when athletes from across the Commonwealth came together in England’s north-west.

The reverse design by Matthew Bonaccorsi captures the energy and celebration of the event. It shows a dynamic figure in motion holding a banner aloft, a powerful symbol of victory and team spirit. The upper part of the banner is divided into lines that suggest the lanes of a running track or swimming pool, reflecting the wide range of sports contested at the Games. To the side of the design appears the denomination and the inscription “XVII COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2002”, while a small representation of the flag of England distinguishes this version from the other home nation issues.

Around the milled edge runs the inscription “SPIRIT·OF·FRIENDSHIP·MANCHESTER·2002”, a phrase that perfectly sums up the atmosphere of the Games and adds an extra point of interest for collectors who enjoy the special edge lettering used on £2 coins. This detail links the coin directly to its host city and to the values of the Commonwealth sporting movement.

The obverse features the fourth definitive portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, with the Queen wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. The surrounding Latin legend “ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRA · REG · FID · DEF ·” follows the familiar style of modern UK coinage and frames the effigy in a dignified way.

Struck in the standard bi‑metallic specification for UK £2 coins, the piece has a copper‑nickel centre within a nickel‑brass outer ring. It weighs 12 grams, measures 28.4 millimetres in diameter and is 2.5 millimetres thick, with a milled, inscribed edge. Issued in 2002 as part of a set of four Commonwealth Games £2 coins, each featuring a different home nation flag, the England version is especially appealing to collectors interested in sporting themes, modern commemorative issues and the numismatic story of the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

*Image is representative of the coin you will receive 

**Struck for general circulation and subsequently acquired by The Royal Mint from the secondary market.