Sideline collection ~ £2 coins

[Peckris 579]

A 'top hat' Brunel for me, already got one though unfortunately.

You'll have to do swapsies

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

A 'top hat' Brunel for me, already got one though unfortunately.

You'll have to do swapsies

Only half an hour ago I spent it on a ham and mustard roll.

[RobJ 0]

Well done to both of you. I haven't seen any Burns £2 coins yet.

Thanks 1949.

I do often find that when two Commemorative £2 Coins are released in the same year that one is harder to obtain than the other.

Unless that has just been my luck? lol

[moneyer12 0]

got the darwin £2 coin in my change, i love this coin as the reverse is so innovative, in the past i have found all the commonwealth games coins and both brunels in my change.

[ski 1]

went out for dinner last night with the family.....got a darwin in my change, ive checked out the thousands for sale on ebay and mine looks bunc and apparantly apart from those on ebay, very very rare

never really looked at coins in my change before...........you lot have a great deal to answer to

merry christmas all

[RobJ 0]

got the darwin £2 coin in my change, i love this coin as the reverse is so innovative, in the past i have found all the commonwealth games coins and both brunels in my change.

Well done Cartwheel.

You did well managing to obtain all of the Commonwealth Games £2 Issues. They are were, and still are, very hard to find!

In fact the first time that I saw one 'In Hand' was recently when I purchased a set of all four of them. lol

[RobJ 0]

went out for dinner last night with the family.....got a darwin in my change, ive checked out the thousands for sale on ebay and mine looks bunc and apparantly apart from those on ebay, very very rare

never really looked at coins in my change before...........you lot have a great deal to answer to

merry christmas all

It looks as though you have been bitten by the bug as well Ski.

Welcome to the club! lol

[1949threepence 3,367]

went out for dinner last night with the family.....got a darwin in my change, ive checked out the thousands for sale on ebay and mine looks bunc and apparantly apart from those on ebay, very very rare

never really looked at coins in my change before...........you lot have a great deal to answer to

merry christmas all

Having now received three in the last few weeks, along with some technology 2009 £2 coins, it's become abundantly clear that they (Darwin's) are not rare at all.

[1949threepence 3,367]

got the darwin £2 coin in my change, i love this coin as the reverse is so innovative, in the past i have found all the commonwealth games coins and both brunels in my change.

Well done Cartwheel.

You did well managing to obtain all of the Commonwealth Games £2 Issues. They are were, and still are, very hard to find!

In fact the first time that I saw one 'In Hand' was recently when I purchased a set of all four of them. lol

They definitely are, Rob. I'm still on the lookout for a Northern Ireland flag specimen.

[scott 144]

check your technology 2009 for errored lettering...

and there was a £2 on ebay with off centre (slight) beading where the join is, some went fully onto the silver bit... and people were bidding.

and the 2008 running track one was at a fiver also O.O

[scott 144]

finally got it uploaded.

[RobJ 0]

They definitely are, Rob. I'm still on the lookout for a Northern Ireland flag specimen.

I believe that after the 1989 'Claim of Rights' £2 Coin that the 2002 Commonwealth Games Issues have the lowest mintage of all £2 Commemorative Coins. Northen Ireland has the lowest of the four with just 485,500 minted.

Oddly enough the Scottish Design had the highest mintage out of the four with 771,750, which is still a very small mintage compared the Commemoratives from other years!

[RobJ 0]

check your technology 2009 for errored lettering...

finally got it uploaded.

Thanks for the information Scott. I will keep an eye open and be sure to check the lettering.

[Sylvester 15]

Yes, sixpences were demonetised on 30 June 1980. I remember an article in one of the papers around that time alerting people to the fact, showing the tennis player Roscoe Tanner with a sixpence (a 'tanner') ...

I found three silver coins during the late 80's - one florin and two shillings. Here in the US you can also occasionally come across silver (in my case, about 3 dimes and a half dollar in the last decade).

I remember near the end, around 1991 or so I was sent to the shop with a George V Florin to purchase a bottle of milk (despite my protests that I didn't actually want to spend this), my mother won the argument and it was spent.

[Sylvester 15]

I often thought of putting together a set of £2 back in around 1999, but it never got off the ground (not helped by the fact that I really disliked the Rugby one) and then I lost heart completely when the commems came every year. There's just too many of them and too much variety when you start taking into account minor varities as well. I do sometimes consider a date run of technology ones though, it's definately (for me) the best £2 coin design, simply because the design, so simple but so clever, so much meaning locked within. I've always admired that.

[1949threepence 3,367]

Yes, sixpences were demonetised on 30 June 1980. I remember an article in one of the papers around that time alerting people to the fact, showing the tennis player Roscoe Tanner with a sixpence (a 'tanner') ...

I found three silver coins during the late 80's - one florin and two shillings. Here in the US you can also occasionally come across silver (in my case, about 3 dimes and a half dollar in the last decade).

I remember near the end, around 1991 or so I was sent to the shop with a George V Florin to purchase a bottle of milk (despite my protests that I didn't actually want to spend this), my mother won the argument and it was spent.

It was receiving a GEF 1951 florin in my change in August 1990, that sparked my interest in coins.

[RobJ 0]

I often thought of putting together a set of £2 back in around 1999, but it never got off the ground (not helped by the fact that I really disliked the Rugby one) and then I lost heart completely when the commems came every year. There's just too many of them and too much variety when you start taking into account minor varities as well.

Personally I like the variations of each design, that is the reason that I started to collect them.

I think that there has been 28 different Commemorative Designs in total to date which I don't think is a massive ammount to try to collect. Although certain ones are a lot harder to obtain than others.

I started to collect mine when they were first issued so was luckily able to obtain nearly all of them from my change.

I personally find it a fun and enjoyable way to collect from my change.

I do sometimes consider a date run of technology ones though, it's definately (for me) the best £2 coin design, simply because the design, so simple but so clever, so much meaning locked within. I've always admired that.

I do agree Sylvester, the 'Technology' design is most innovative and very clever.

I think that it would be quite easy to complete a date run of 'Technology' £2 Coins as most are readily available in your change.

If my memory serves me right 2005 had the lowest mintage of around 5 Million so that may be quite hard to obtain in a collectable Grade.

However, if you wanted to collect BU or even Proof Specimins they are also readily available from the Royal Mint Sets and Single Year Issues.

[scott 144]

2005 is more like 3 million

[Sylvester 15]

I'll definately bear it in mind, I've got to finish my BU small 10p date set first, including all minor varieties! Now that set is near impossible. There's some i'm types i'm convinced don't exist in BU any more or even EF.

I actually think the £2 coins of all types/varieties is probably easier because they're more recent so still around in higher grades and more people collect these coins because they're simply more interesting.

[RobJ 0]

I'll definately bear it in mind, I've got to finish my BU small 10p date set first, including all minor varieties! Now that set is near impossible. There's some i'm types i'm convinced don't exist in BU any more or even EF.

I can only speak from experience from collecting the 1992 Small 10p's but as far as I am aware only one type was available in BU from the Royal Mint Sets and the other types were available from the standard Circulation coins, although I may be wrong.

I have found each of the five varieties (I think that there are five varieties) of the 1992 Small 10p's in my change, but they are all around VF.

I actually think the £2 coins of all types/varieties is probably easier because they're more recent so still around in higher grades and more people collect these coins because they're simply more interesting.

Im not sure if they would be easier to collect or not if I'm honest. Perhaps the 'Technology' ones may be easier but as I said some of the Commemoratives are very hard to obtain.

For example, if you did decide to collect the £2 Commemorative Issues you would not be able to collect any of the 'Single Metal' types from your change as they were no longer issued after 1996 and I have personally seen one since. Also a few of those, in my experience at least, I never found in Circulation at the time at all.

As for the 'Bi Metal' types although I have managed to obtain nearly all of them from my change, again some of them I didn't find at all and a for a few of the other Issues I have only ever managed to obtain a couple of specimins each.

However, do not let any of that put you off Sylvester, I'm just trying to pass along some advice from my own personal experience.

E-Bay is actually rather good for both £2 'Technology' and Commemorative Issues. You will probably be able to find most of them on there if you are prepared to put in the time.

It seems to me that as soon as someone finds a £2 Coin it ends up on E-Bay. lol So there will be plenty of them for you to choose from.

Also, start to check your change as you never know what will turn up there, only yesterday I obtained a near UNC 2007 'Act of Union' £2 Coin.

[Rob 3,152]

For example, if you did decide to collect the £2 Commemorative Issues you would not be able to collect any of the 'Single Metal' types from your change as they were no longer issued after 1996 and I have personally seen one since. Also a few of those, in my experience at least, I never found in Circulation at the time at all.

You will pick up the early ones if you keep looking. Any examples of these that I get in bulk lots which have got more than a few bagmarks I automatically spend. I've recycled at least 20 or 30 in the past year & I can't be the only person to do so. They aren't particularly common, but unless in top grade also not worth collecting. 'Low mintage' is a relative and not absolute phrase.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Rob

[Sylvester 15]

For example, if you did decide to collect the £2 Commemorative Issues you would not be able to collect any of the 'Single Metal' types from your change as they were no longer issued after 1996 and I have personally seen one since. Also a few of those, in my experience at least, I never found in Circulation at the time at all.

Funny you should mention those, I used to have the 1995 and 1996 ones that I got from the Post Office when they were issued. I recently acquired another earlier one from a friend who recieved it in change, I think it was a 1994 one?

I have spent at least two pre-1997 £2 coins, one (a dove one) was given to me in change in a shop in Huddersfield in 2003, for one purchase, however, they soon got it back because I saw something else I wanted to buy!

The other one I spent was a Bank of England one, this must have been around 1998.

So they do circulate, just not very often!

[RobJ 0]

You will pick up the early ones if you keep looking. Any examples of these that I get in bulk lots which have got more than a few bagmarks I automatically spend. I've recycled at least 20 or 30 in the past year & I can't be the only person to do so. They aren't particularly common, but unless in top grade also not worth collecting. 'Low mintage' is a relative and not absolute phrase.

Funny you should mention those, I used to have the 1995 and 1996 ones that I got from the Post Office when they were issued. I recently acquired another earlier one from a friend who recieved it in change, I think it was a 1994 one?

I have spent at least two pre-1997 £2 coins, one (a dove one) was given to me in change in a shop in Huddersfield in 2003, for one purchase, however, they soon got it back because I saw something else I wanted to buy

The other one I spent was a Bank of England one, this must have been around 1998.

So they do circulate, just not very often!

I have been offered some of the 'Single Metal' types when at Coin Shops, usually the 1986 Commonwealth Games, 1989 Bill of Rights, 1995 WWII and 1996 European Football Championships, so I do know that they are out there and that they are available.

I was just speaking from personal experience of obtaining them from my change.

[Peckris 579]

Yes, sixpences were demonetised on 30 June 1980. I remember an article in one of the papers around that time alerting people to the fact, showing the tennis player Roscoe Tanner with a sixpence (a 'tanner') ...

I found three silver coins during the late 80's - one florin and two shillings. Here in the US you can also occasionally come across silver (in my case, about 3 dimes and a half dollar in the last decade).

I remember near the end, around 1991 or so I was sent to the shop with a George V Florin to purchase a bottle of milk (despite my protests that I didn't actually want to spend this), my mother won the argument and it was spent.

OMG, not a 1932 or a 1925 I hope??

Yes, sixpences were demonetised on 30 June 1980. I remember an article in one of the papers around that time alerting people to the fact, showing the tennis player Roscoe Tanner with a sixpence (a 'tanner') ...

I found three silver coins during the late 80's - one florin and two shillings. Here in the US you can also occasionally come across silver (in my case, about 3 dimes and a half dollar in the last decade).

I remember near the end, around 1991 or so I was sent to the shop with a George V Florin to purchase a bottle of milk (despite my protests that I didn't actually want to spend this), my mother won the argument and it was spent.

It was receiving a GEF 1951 florin in my change in August 1990, that sparked my interest in coins.

That sounds like someone - with no idea about coins - desperately spending that 1951 before it got demonetised. But every cloud, as they say ...

{Ok chaps, diversion over - now you can drag the discussion kicking and screaming back to the boring old £2 coin! }

[1949threepence 3,367]

OMG, not a 1932 or a 1925 I hope??

A 1932 florin in high grade ~ now there's something to aim for.

That sounds like someone - with no idea about coins - desperately spending that 1951 before it got demonetised. But every cloud, as they say ...

Absolutely. I'm not sure what happened to that florin. I thought I'd kept it, but I can't find it now, 20 years on.

{Ok chaps, diversion over - now you can drag the discussion kicking and screaming back to the boring old £2 coin! }

Boring ? I love the £2.00 coin !!! (in fact I ought to start an appreciation society)