£2 coin enters circulation! 2021 Mintage Figures Revealed…

The Royal Mint has JUST revealed the mintage figures for all UK circulation coins and it confirms a £2 coin entered circulation!

It’s fantastic to see that a £2 coin entered circulation in 2021 – the Britannia £2!

So, we’ve updated our £2 Mintage Figure chart to show you where this new coin ranks…

New £2 Coin in Circulation

We wouldn’t normally combine definitive and commemorative mintage figures into one chart, however the comparative figures give us an interesting insight into the diversity of the change in our pocket.

2021 UK Mintage Figures Reveal Britannia £2 entered circulation
2021 UK Mintage Figures Reveal Britannia £2 entered circulation

The Britannia £2 coin entered circulation in 2021, after a 4 year break.

6,045,000 entered circulation, meaning we stand a good chance of finding one in our change!

And, it looks as though we have some 2021 dated definitive coins to hunt down in our change…

  • Nations of the Crown £1: 21,760,000
  • Royal Shield 20p: 19,600,000
  • Royal Shield 10p: 71,200,000
  • Royal Shield 5p: 28,000,000
  • Royal Shield 2p: 117,700,000
  • Royal Shield 1p: 56,000,000

50p Mintage Figures

Sadly, no 50p coins entered circulation in 2021, meaning our mintage figure chart won’t be updated until we get the confirmed mintages for the 2022 50p coins.

2022 Mintage Figures show no new 50p coins entered circulation

The coins you should be looking out for in your change include the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, 2018 Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny 50p coins, the 2018 Mrs Tittlemouse 50p, and the 2017 Royal Shield 50p.

The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p
2009 Kew Gardens 50p
2018 Peter Rabbit 50p
2018 Peter Rabbit 50p

What about the Olympic 50ps?

In 2012, the Olympic 50p coins entered circulation and it kick-started a collecting frenzy across the nation.

It’s estimated that around 75% of these coins have been removed from circulation by collectors which means they are incredibly sought-after, especially considering these 50ps have some of the lowest mintage figures in circulation…

Many of the Olympic 50ps have a mintage less than 2,000,000 with the rarest (the Olympic Football 50p) having a mintage of just 1,125,500. See the full mintage figures for these coins here >>

The 2012 Olympic 50p coin.

Taking these rare 50ps into consideration, the 2018 Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny coins would sit in joint sixth position, below the Kew Gardens, Football, Wrestling, Judo and Triathlon 50ps.


Have you been lucky enough to find any of the 2021 circulation coins in your change?

It’s always exciting when new mintage figures are revealed and you realise just how rare the change in your pocket really is!


If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:

– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers

So, sign-up here for FREE >>

It’ll only take you a minute…

The Royal Mint has just re-issued the FIRST EVER definitive £2 – with a twist!

The iconic UK definitive bi-metallic £2 has just been re-issued by The Royal Mint, celebrating 25 years since it first entered circulation!

2022 UK Definitive Bi-Metallic £2 Re-Issued.
Design of the Technology £2, with a '25' lenticular feature.
This coin also features a dual date - 1997 on the reverse, and 2022 on the obverse.
2022 UK Definitive Bi-Metallic £2 Re-Issued. Get yours here >>

Order your 2022 UK 25th Anniversary CERTIFIED BU £2 here >>

This brand new coin follows the design of the first definitive £2, the Technology £2. But eagle-eyed collectors will spot some very special features on this new issue…

25 years of our bi-metallic £2 celebrated with a new lenticular feature

In the centre of the original Technology £2, you’ll see the central lenticular area transform from four separate scrolls into eight intertwined scrolls, representing the Iron Age.

But, instead of eight scrolls, this re-issued bi-metallic £2 reveals the number ‘25’ when tilted – a clever way of celebrating the anniversary!

Last QEII Commemorative Bi-Metallic £2

The 25th anniversary of the £2 coin is confirmed to be the last UK commemorative bi-metallic £2 coin which features an effigy of Her Late Majesty.

This is sure to make this coin even more sought-after, as collectors rush to find the last UK coins with Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on them.

Special dual-date

As well as the unique lenticular feature, this brand new £2 also features a special dual-date.

Featuring the original 1997 date on the reverse, and the 2022 date on the obverse, this coin becomes one of just a handful of UK coins to have a dual-date on its design.

Special Privy Mark

The obverse not only features Jody Clark’s QEII portrait, but also includes a special privy mark in the form of the central Iron Age circle.

The 25th Anniversary of the £2 obverse design, featuring special privy mark.
The 25th Anniversary of the £2 obverse design, featuring special privy mark.

Order your 2022 UK Bi-Metallic Re-issued 25th Anniversary CERTIFIED BU £2 here >>

Sell out history

Plus, this year has already seen £2 coin SELL OUTS. On the day the 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup £2 launched, limited edition specifications SOLD OUT within mere hours!

The 2022 UK FA Cup £2 coin. This coin sold out in JUST hours of issue!
The 2022 UK FA Cup £2 coin. This coin sold out in JUST hours of issue! Don’t miss out on the brand new Anniversary £2 coin…

Make sure you get your hands on the 2022 UK 25th Anniversary CERTIFIED BU £2 by ordering yours here >>

The favourite UK £2 coin – voted by you!

Earlier this year, we asked Change Checkers which bi-metallic £2 design was their favourite. Can you guess which one came out on top? Find out here >>

The Scarcest Bi-metallic £2 coins

Plenty of popular bi-metallic £2 coin designs have gone into circulation since 1997, but the most scarce £2 coin is the 2002 Commonwealth Games NI £2.

2002 Commonwealth Games £2 - the scarcest £2 coin in circulation.
2002 Commonwealth Games £2 – the scarcest £2 coin in circulation.

With a mintage figure of just 485,500, this coin is particularly hard to spot in your change. Find out more about this coin here >>

£2 ‘errors’

You may also spot £2 ‘errors’ in your change too, although these are very rare. They can occur when striking the bi-metallic coins, which has a very specific process. If you’d like to learn more about error and mis-strike coins, click here >>


The re-issued bi-metallic £2 coin is sure to be a hit with collectors. What is your favourite £2 from the last 25 years?


Order your 2022 UK Bi-Metallic Re-Issued 25th Anniversary CERTIFIED BU £2 here >>

25 Years of the Bi-Metallic £2! Vote for your favourite design…

After a review of the United Kingdom coinage in 1994, it emerged that there was a requirement for a £2 coin to enter general circulation.

After extensive consultation, it was decided this would be a bi-colour coin, making it easily distinguishable from the other coins in circulation.

Originally, the intention was to issue the £2 coin in November 1997. However, concerns emerged from the vending industry over their size. The £2 coin was eventually launched on 15 June 1998, with millions of the coin released into circulation.

Since then we’ve seen over 35 different designs enter circulation!

And in 2022, the bi-metallic £2 coin celebrates its 25th birthday!

£2 coin vote – winning design revealed!

We asked you to vote for your favourite bi-metallic £2 coin design and the results are in!

The results of our £2 coin design vote are in!

Our winning coin design is the Great Fire of London £2, taking an impressive 17% of all votes! This coin was issued in 2016 to mark the 350th anniversary of one of the most well-known disasters to hit London.

However, three years after this coin was issued into circulation, it was revealed that its mintage figure was mistakenly listed and the coin is in fact rarer than once thought…

The previous figure of 5,135,000 meant this coin was fairly common but the updated figure of 1,625,000, makes this coin one of the rarest £2 coins in circulation!

Did your favourite coin design make the top 5? Let us know in the comments below!


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