The bi-metallic £2 coin is the largest circulating coin denomination of the Pound Sterling. It was introduced in 1998 (earlier two pound coins were made of Nickel brass, were intended as commemorative, and did not circulate much). Being bi-metallic means that the coin comprises two separate components of differing alloys - a Nickel-Brass outer ring with inner circle of CuproNickel.
The Royal Mint maintains a "definitive" style of the £2 issued annually, as well as a large variety of one-year circulating commemorative types and some Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) £2 coins for collectors. Between 1997 and 2015, the definitive type was the Technology type £2, which was then changed to the Britannia type £2.
The one-year type coins celebrate important anniversaries or people, as well as iconic aspects of British culture and history.
This circulating commemorative £2 coin celebrates the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Its design depicts St Paul's Cathedral in London illuminated by searchlights looking for enemy bombers.
The Second World War brought devastation to British cities. While London burned, St Paul’s Cathedral miraculously escaped destruction, with its Dome, according to The Times, seeming to "ride the sea of fire like a great ship". Serene and comparatively unscathed amid a city in flames, the great cathedral survived to become a symbol of hope to a beleaguered nation. It was this image of St Paul’s cathedral during the blitz that had such an impact on Robert Elderton as he undertook his research for a suitable reverse design for the £2 coin celebrating the coming of peace in 1945: “Its survival during the firebombing of London seemed such an iconic image. The coin more or less designed itself when I came across the image of St Paul’s lit up with the search beams in the shape of a V for Victory. A lot of credit should go to Sir Christopher Wren and the searchlight operators!”
£2 coins issued in 2005 have now been in circulation for 20 years. |