Top 12 list of most valuable and rarest £2 coins: how much are they worth?

Have you ever noticed any interesting spare change? What you might find even more interesting is how much some of these coins can be worth! Here’s our list of the most valuable and rare £2 coins in circulation.

Why are some £2 coins determined to be rare?

There are a few things that usually determine how rare or valuable a coin is. Overall, it’s pretty straightforward. The deciding factors are historic significance, how many were issued (or ‘minted’), interesting designs and the condition of the coin.

Uniqueness is also important. For example, you might not find a coin with an ‘error’ – like a missing date – very interesting. But collectors will want to add it to their collection because of its uniqueness. And, in case you didn’t think of this already, we’ll mention that they’re often also willing to pay a hefty amount for these rarities.

Ultimately, the price of a coin is based on how much people are willing to pay for it at a given time.

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How much are rare £2 coins worth?

During our research, the rarest coins in circulation we saw, sold for up to 79 pounds on eBay. Many will sell between 5-20 pounds. The value of coins can fluctuate through time, so make sure to check before you sell (or buy).

Top 12 most valuable and rarest £2 coins

Let’s jump right into our list of the most valuable and rarest £2 coins, and how much they have sold for.

1. 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland

The 2002 Commonwealth Games coins were issued in honour of the multi-sport event of the same name, the largest ever held before the Olympic Games were hosted in London in 2012.

There were four different £2 commemorative coins issued. All of them bear the same design – a runner holding a banner high above their head as they cross the finish line. The only difference between the coins is the small flag in the middle, which is different for each of the four constituent countries of the UK.

The inscription on the edge of the coin reads: ‘Spirit of friendship, Manchester 2002’.

485,500 coins were minted with the Northern Ireland design and a circulated coin in good condition has recently (February 2024) sold for 79 pounds on eBay. The average selling price hovers around 40–50 pounds.

2. 2002 Commonwealth Games England

Sporting the same design as all the other Commonwealth Games commemorative coins, this one bears the flag of England.

There were 650,500 coins minted with this design and a circulated coin in good condition has recently (February 2024) sold for 18 pounds on eBay. The average selling price is around 12 pounds.

3. 2002 Commonwealth Games Wales

The Commonwealth Games £2 coin representing Wales features the country’s flag in the centre of the coin. The small flag is framed by the figure of a runner, holding a banner high up above their head, as they’re victoriously crossing the finish line.

588,500 coins were minted with the Wales design. Coins in good condition have recently (February 2024) been selling for up to 17 pounds on eBay.

4. 2002 Commonwealth Games Scotland

The £2 coin representing Scotland shows the country’s flag in the centre of the coin. As with the other Commonwealth Games £2 coins bearing identical designs, the reverse of the coin depicts a runner holding a banner high up above their head, crossing the finish line.

771,750 coins were minted with the Scotland design. While it seems that this coin on average sells for around 9–15 pounds on eBay, we also saw one sold in February of 2024 for 28 pounds.

5. 2012 Olympic Games London to Rio handover

This commemorative £2 coin was issued by The Royal Mint in honour of the handover of the Olympic Games from London to Rio de Janeiro.

The design on the reverse of the coin shows a baton passed between two hands. You’ll see the flags of the UK and Brazil below the hands and above them the London 2012 logo.

The inscription on the edge of the coin reads: ‘I call upon the youth of the world’.

845,000 coins were minted and released into circulation. There were also uncirculated coins released and this design was also issued in silver proof, silver piedfort and gold proof.

The Olympic Handover £2 coins have recently (February 2024) been selling on eBay for anywhere between 5-12 pounds, with coins in good condition selling at the higher end of the scale.

6. 2008 Olympic Games Beijing to London handover

Another commemorative Olympic handover coin, this £2 coin was issued by The Royal Mint in honour of the handover of the games from Beijing to London.

The design shows the Olympic flag being handed over, with the hand on the left opening its fingers, flag in hand, to pass it to the open hand on the right. Below them you’ll see the Official London 2012 logo.

The inscription on the edge of the coin reads: ‘I call upon the youth of the world’.

918,000 of these coins were minted and released into circulation.

The highest the Beijing handover coin £2 has sold for recently on eBay is 14 pounds (as of February 2024). On average the selling prices are around 5–7 pounds.

7. 2008 Olympic Games Centenary

The tradition of the contemporary Olympic Games kicked off in Athens in the year 1896. In 1908, London hosted the games for the first time. Great Britain came out as the overall winners of the 1908 Olympics, winning a whopping 56 gold medals in total.

The design depicts a racing track with ‘1908’ printed across it horizontally and ‘Two Pounds’ and ‘2008’ vertically along the track lines.

The inscription on the edge of the coin reads: ‘The 4th Olympiad London’.

910,000 coins were released into circulation.

The Olympic Centenary £2 coins have recently (February 2024) been selling on eBay on average for 5–8 pounds.

8. 2011 King James Bible

Designed by Paul Stafford and Benjamin Wright, this £2 coin depicts a script with the words ‘In the beginning was the Word’ and its mirror image in printing blocks. At the top you’ll read ‘King James Bible’ and at the bottom ‘1611–2011’.

The inscription on the edge of the coin says: ‘The authorised version’.

975,000 coins were released into circulation in 2011 and The Royal Mint also released special uncirculated and precious metal versions of the King James Bible £2.

Currently these £2 coins sell for an average of 6–8 pounds on eBay, however we also saw circulated coins in good condition sell for up to 12 pounds.

9. 2011 Mary Rose

This commemorative £2 coin depicts the ship Mary Rose and was designed by John Bergdahl. The Mary Rose was the pride of England's Royal Navy in the 16th century.

Built in 1511 for Henry VIII and named after his favourite sister, Mary Tudor, the ship met its tragic end in 1545, in an attack against a French fleet in the Solent. It’s still unknown what made the ship tilt to one side, making it sink. Only 35 men out of a crew of about 500 escaped with their lives.

The edge inscription on the coin says: ‘Your noblest shippe 1511’.

1,040,000 commemorative coins were minted by The Royal Mint in 2011.

We found these £2 coins selling for an average of 7–9 pounds on eBay as of February 2024.

10. 2015 First World War – Navy

Commemorating the centenary of the First World War, this coin honours the Royal Navy. Designed by military artist David Rowlands, the £2 coin features a front view of a battleship on the sea. Above the ship you’ll read ‘The First World War 1914-1918’ and the year ‘2015’ is marked below.

The inscription on the edge of the coin reads: ‘The sure shield of Britain’.

650,000 coins were released into circulation.

When we had a look in February 2024, these coins were selling for 4–6 pounds on average on eBay.

11. 2016 Great Fire of London

This £2 coin marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. The fire started on 2nd September 1666 and while there weren’t many deaths recorded, many important buildings, like The Royal Exchange and St Paul’s Cathedral, were destroyed along with thousands of homes.

Designed by Aaron West, the reverse of the coin depicts the burning city, flames and smoke high above the city buildings.

The inscription on the edge reads: ‘The whole city in dreadful flames’.

1,625,000 coins were minted and circulated.

In February 2024 the Great Fire of London £2 coins sold for an average of 4–6 pounds on eBay.

12. 2016 Britannia

After Britannia, the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior, hadn’t been featured on any coins for years, the Royal Mint announced in 2015 that she would be making a return on the £2 coin.

Antony Dufort’s design depicts Britannica wearing a helmet and holding a trident and a shield. The shield is adorned with the Union Jack.

Only 650,000 coins were minted in 2015, making it one of the rarest £2 coins.

As of late, these coins have been selling on eBay for an average of 5–7 pounds.

How to sell rare £2 coins?

Once you have your hands on a rare £2 coin (or even a few), you want to make sure that you’re getting a fair price, when you’re looking to sell them.

Depending on the value and rarity of the coin(s), you might want to consult a coin appraiser. Alternatively, you can also estimate the value of your coin by yourself by doing a little market research and seeing how much the same coin has recently sold for online.

Where to buy or sell rare £2 coins in the UK?

Online platforms like eBay are a pretty common place to sell coins. There are many auctioneers to pick from as well, including The Royal Mint itself.

A quick google search will help you find many options. If you’re selling directly to a collector or dealer just make sure you do your research to avoid possible scammers.

And, if you want to buy coins or other collectibles from abroad in other currencies than the British pound, consider using the money services provider Wise. The Wise account lets you make international payments for low fees and mid-market exchange rates and you can get a Wise card to spend like a local in 150+ countries worldwide. It’s not a bank account but offers similar features.

Learn more about the Wise account 💰

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Hopefully you now have a clear overview of the rarest £2 coins you might find as well as how to sell them. With online marketplaces like eBay booming, it really couldn’t be easier!