Two pounds (British coin) facts for kids
| United Kingdom | |
| Value | £2 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 12 g |
| Diameter | 28.4 mm |
| Thickness | 2.5 mm |
| Edge | Milled, with incuse lettering |
| Composition | Outer ring: Nickel-brass (76% Cu, 20% Zn and 4% Ni) Centre: Cupro-nickel (75% Cu , 25% Ni) |
| Years of minting | 1997–present |
| Obverse | |
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| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Jody Clark |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Reverse | |
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| Design | Britannia |
| Designer | Antony Dufort |
| Design date | 2015 |
The British two pound (£2) coin is a type of money used in the United Kingdom. It's a special coin because it has two different metals. Since it was first made, the coin has always shown a picture of Queen Elizabeth II. Three different pictures of the Queen have been used over time. The newest one, made by Jody Clark, started in 2015. The other side of the coin usually shows Britannia, a symbol of Britain.
This coin was first put into circulation on 15 June 1998, though some coins were made in 1997. It was created because people decided the UK needed a £2 coin for everyday use. Before this, there were some special £2 coins made for celebrations between 1986 and 1996. These older coins were made of just one metal and were not often used in shops.
By March 2014, there were about 417 million £2 coins being used. That's a lot of money! Since 2016, no new standard £2 coins have been made for general use. This is because when the new £1 coin came out, many people emptied their coin jars. This put enough £2 coins back into circulation.
£2 coins are considered legal tender. This means they can be used to pay off a debt. However, in daily shopping, shops don't have to accept them. It's up to the shopkeeper.
Contents
What Does the £2 Coin Look Like?
The first design on the back of the £2 coin was made by Bruce Rushin. It's an abstract design that shows the history of technology. It has the words "TWO POUNDS" at the top and the year it was made at the bottom.
This was the first coin made of two different metals for general use in Britain since 1692. It's also the coin with the highest value that you commonly see in the UK. The coin has an outer ring that looks yellow. It's made of nickel-brass, which is 76% copper, 20% zinc, and 4% nickel. The inner part is steel-coloured and made of cupro-nickel, which is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The coin weighs 12 grams and is 2.84 centimeters wide.
The idea for this two-metal design was first tested in 1994. The Royal Mint made some test coins to see if they could make them. These test coins were not for spending. They had a picture of Queen Elizabeth II on one side and a sailing ship on the other. They also had a special message on the edge. These test coins were later sold in special sets.
Coins made in 1997 had a picture of the Queen by Raphael Maklouf. These coins were released in June 1998, at the same time as the 1998 coins. Coins from 1998 onwards have a picture of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley. The words around the Queen's picture are slightly different on these coins.
The main design on the back, by Bruce Rushin, shows how technology has grown. It goes from the Iron Age to the Industrial Revolution and then to the Internet. It has the words "TWO POUNDS" and the date. An interesting fact about the design is that it shows 19 interlocking gears. Because there's an odd number, they couldn't actually turn!
The edge of the coin has a special message: "STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS". This is a famous quote from Isaac Newton. He meant that his discoveries were built on the work of smart people who came before him. Newton used to work at the Royal Mint.
In 2015, the Royal Mint announced a new design for the back of the coin. It features Britannia and was created by Antony Dufort. These new coins have a different message on their edge: "QUATUOR MARIA VINDICO". This means "I claim the four seas". This message has been used on coins with Britannia before.
Special £2 Coin Designs
Besides the regular designs, many special £2 coins have been made to celebrate important events. These are called "commemorative" coins. They have different pictures on the back.
| Year | Event | Design | Edge Inscription | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | XIII Commonwealth Games | Cross of St Andrew, crown of laurel leaves and Scottish Thistle | XIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCOTLAND 1986 | Norman Sillman |
| 1989 | Tercentenary of the Bill of Rights | 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' | None (milled) | John Lobban |
| 1989 | Tercentenary of the 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 Claim of Right' | None (milled) | John Lobban |
| 1994 | 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 | SIC VOS NON VOBIS (Translation > "Thus we do, but not for ourselves") |
Leslie Durbin |
| 1995 | 50th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War | A stylised representation of a Dove as the symbol of peace | 1945 IN PEACE GOODWILL 1995 | John Mills |
| 1995 | 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 | None (milled) | Michael Rizzello |
| 1996 | 10th European Football Championship | A stylised representation of a football, with the date of 1996 centrally placed and encircled by sixteen small rings | TENTH EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP | John Mills |
| 1999 | 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 | RUGBY WORLD CUP 1999 | Ron Dutton |
| 2001 | 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 | WIRELESS BRIDGES THE ATLANTIC...MARCONI 1901... | Robert Evans |
| 2002 | XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester | Stylised figure of an athlete holding a banner and the inscription XVII Commonwealth Games 2002. Behind the athlete is a circle containing a flag – there are four versions of this coin, each with one of the flags of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England in this circle | SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP, MANCHESTER 2002 | Matthew Bonaccorsi |
| 2003 | 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 | DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID | John Mills |
| 2004 | 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 | None (milled with an incuse railway line motif) | Robert Lowe |
| 2005 | 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 | REMEMBER REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER | Peter Forster |
| 2005 | 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day | Design depicts St Paul's Cathedral illuminated by searchlights and the value 'TWO POUNDS' sbove and the dates 1945–2005 below | IN VICTORY MAGNANIMITY IN PEACE GOODWILL | Bob Elderton |
| 2006 | Bicentennial of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel | 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 | SO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE | Robert Evans |
| 2006 | Bicentennial of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel | A portrait of Isambard Kingdom Brunel with two of his engineering achievements, encircled by a chain with the denomination TWO POUNDS above and the date 2006 below | 1806–1859 ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL ENGINEER | Rod Kelly |
| 2007 | 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" | UNITED INTO ONE KINGDOM | Yvonne Holton |
| 2007 | 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" | AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER | David Gentleman |
| 2008 | Olympic Handover Ceremony | A flag showing the five Olympic rings being passed from a hand on the left to a hand on the right. The surrounding inscription reads "BEIJING 2008" left of image and "LONDON 2012" to right. The London 2012 olympic logo is at the bottom of the coin overlapping both metals | I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD | The Royal Mint Engraving Team |
| 2008 | The Centenary of the London Olympic Games of 1908 | Four lanes of a running track extend from bottom left and converge into distance towards top right. The lane numbers show "1908" across the lanes with "TWO POUNDS 2008" written along the lanes. The inscription "LONDON OLYMPIC CENTENARY" is shown around the upper right half of the coin | THE 4TH OLYMPIAD LONDON | Thomas T Docherty |
| 2009 | 250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns | A handwriting style of font reads [sic] "we'll tak a cup a' kindness yet, for auld lang syne". The inscription "1759 ROBERT BURNS 1796" above, "TWO POUNDS" below | SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT | The Royal Mint Engraving Team |
| 2009 | 200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth | A profile portrait of Charles Darwin on left, facing right, stares into the face of a chimpanzee on right, facing left. The inscription "1809 . DARWIN . 2009" above, "TWO POUNDS" below | ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 1859 | Suzie Zamit |
| 2010 | 100th Anniversary of the death of Florence Nightingale | The design portrays a pulse being taken, whilst the background symbolises the rays of light from the lamp that Florence Nightingale was known for carrying during her rounds to tend to the wounded troops in the Crimean War. Surrounded by the inscription "1820 – FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE – 1910" with "TWO POUNDS" below | 150 YEARS OF NURSING | Gordon Summers |
| 2011 | 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible | The design features typeset in a replica of the black letter typeface used in the first edition: the reversed, raised text of the printing block on the left and the recessed text of the printed word on the right, taking the form of the quote, ‘In the beginning was the Word’ (John 1:1).’ Inscription "KING JAMES BIBLE" above, "1611–2011" below | THE AUTHORISED VERSION | Paul Stafford & Benjamin Wright |
| 2011 | 500th Anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mary Rose | The Mary Rose sailing right, based upon a 1546 pictorial survey of Henry VIII's navy. Inscription "THE MARY ROSE" above, "TWO POUNDS" below | YOUR NOBLEST SHIPPE 1511 | John Bergdahl |
| 2012 | 200th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens | A profile outline of Charles Dickens, facing left, created from the titles of Dickens’ famous works. Inscription "1812 CHARLES DICKENS 1870" to left | SOMETHING WILL TURN UP | Matthew Dent |
| 2012 | The London 2012 Handover to Rio | The design depicts the moment of a baton handover in a relay race. The hand holding the baton descends from top right, above a sweeping UK flag which twists to become the flag of Brazil below the hand reaching up from bottom left to take the baton. Inscription "LONDON 2012" top left, "RIO 2016" bottom right. The London 2012 olympic logo is at the very top of the coin | I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD | Jonathan Olliffe |
| 2013 | London Underground 150th Anniversary – The Train | The front of a tube train (1967 stock) fills the cupro-nickel centre of the coin as if approaching out of a tunnel formed by the surrounding nickel-brass outer ring of the coin. Inscription "1863 · LONDON UNDERGROUND · 2013" above | Linear representation of the Tube map | Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby |
| 2013 | London Underground 150th Anniversary – The Roundel | A representation of the London Underground logo with "1863" above and "2013" below | MIND THE GAP | Edwina Ellis |
| 2013 | The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea | A recreation of the design on what became known as the "spade guinea": a shield with the arms of King George III. Surrounding inscription "ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLDEN GUINEA 2013" | WHAT IS A GUINEA? ‘TIS A SPLENDID THING (Stephen Kemble quotation) | Anthony Smith ARBS |
| 2014 | 100th Anniversary of the Outbreak of the First World War | A representation of the famous recruitment poster featuring Lord Kitchener with the legend "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU". Surrounding inscription "THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914–1918" with "2014" below | THE LAMPS ARE GOING OUT ALL OVER EUROPE | John Bergdahl |
| 2014 | 500th Anniversary of Trinity House | The beacon of a lighthouse shining out to left and right. Surrounding inscription "1514 TRINITY HOUSE 2014" with "TWO POUNDS" below. | SERVING THE MARINER | Joe Whitlock-Blundell and David Eccles |
| 2015 | 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta | King John is signing the Charter witnessed by a bishop and baron. Surrounding inscription "MAGNA CARTA" with "1215 - 2015" below | FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY | John Bergdahl |
| 2015 | The Royal Navy | Iron Duke-class battleship in profile with a lone seaplane on the starboard side and sea birds on the port side. Surrounding inscription "THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914 - 1918" with "2015" below | THE SURE SHIELD OF BRITAIN | David Rowlands |
| 2016 | William Shakespeare | Comedy - Jester's hat and stick. Surrounding inscription "WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE" with "2016" below | ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE | John Bergdahl |
| 2016 | William Shakespeare | History - crown with a dagger through the middle of the crown. Surrounding inscription "WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE" with "2016" below | THE HOLLOW CROWN | John Bergdahl |
| 2016 | William Shakespeare | Tragedy - skull with a rose. Surrounding inscription "WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE" with "2016" below | WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN | John Bergdahl |
| 2016 | The Army | Profile outline of three First World War soldiers. Surrounding inscription "THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918" with "2016" below | FOR KING AND COUNTRY | John Bergdahl |
| 2016 | The Great Fire of London | London burning, with boats on the River Thames in the foreground. Surrounding inscription "1666 THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON 2016" with "TWO POUNDS" below | THE WHOLE CITY IN DREADFUL FLAMES | Aaron West |
| 2017 | Jane Austen | Silhouette of Jane Austen's head, overlaid by her signature. | THERE IS NO DOING WITHOUT MONEY (quote from Northanger Abbey) | Dominique Evans |
| 2017 | First World War Aviation | Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, carrying a pilot and his observer, taking reconnaissance photography over the Battle of Arras. | THE SKY RAINED HEROES | Dan Flashman |
| 2018 | 100th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force | PER ARDUA AD ASTRA | Rhys Morgan | |
| 2018 | The 100th Anniversary of the First World War Armistice | WILFRED OWEN KILLED IN ACTION 4 NOV 1918 | Stephen Raw | |
| 2018 | The 200th Anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein | A SPARK OF BEING | Thomas Docherty | |
| 2019 | Wedgewood 260th Anniversary | EVERYTHING GIVES WAY TO EXPERIMENT | Wedgewood Design Team | |
| 2019 | The 350th Anniversary of the last diary entry of Samuel Pepys | THE GOOD GOD PREPARE ME | Gary Breeze |
Rare "Upside Down" Coins
In 2015, a small number of £2 coins were made where the Queen's head was rotated. It was turned about 150 degrees clockwise. The Royal Mint said this probably happened because one of the tools used to stamp the coins came loose. A website that deals with coins thinks only about 3,250 of these "inverted effigy" coins were made. This makes them quite rare!
How Many £2 Coins Are Made?
The Royal Mint makes millions of £2 coins each year. The number changes depending on how many are needed. Here are some of the numbers of coins made over the years.
| Older Single-Metal Coins |
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| Total Two-Metal Coins Made |
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| Special Two-Metal Coins in Circulation |
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See Also
