Two Pounds 2023 Ada Lovelace, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

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; the outer ring of the coins is made of Nickel-Brass (76% copper, 4% nickel, 20% zinc) and the inner circle is CuproNickel (75% copper, 25% nickel).

The Royal Mint maintains a "definitive" style of the £2 issued annually, as well as a large variety of one-year circulating commemorative types.

In 2017, the mint also started issuing some Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) £2 coins for collectors. These are included in the annual mint sets, but are not released into general circulation. Their themes celebrate important anniversaries or people, as well as iconic aspects of British culture and history.

This £2 coin is part of the Innovation in Science series and celebrates Ada Lovelace.

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (née Byron, 1815 - 1852) was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She was the first to recognise that the machine had applications beyond pure calculation.

Ada Lovelace’s contribution to the development of electronic computing in the 1800s was not fully appreciated until a century later. Praised for being the first to see the potential of the Analytical Machine, Lovelace’s vision for the capability of computing in future generations has since proved prophetic.

These £2 coins were struck in various collector formats but none were issued into general circulation.