Detailed Information

🏅 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 Coin – Circulating

Rarest circulating UK £2 coin, issued for the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and featuring the Northern Ireland flag in the central cameo. Highly sought-after due to its very low mintage and distinctive sporting design.

Coin Summary & Key Facts

The 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 is part of a four-coin set representing the home nations of the UK. Each design is almost identical except for the flag in the centre – this version shows the Ulster Banner. With only 485,500 struck for circulation, it is widely recognised as the rarest £2 coin in circulation.

📊 Key Figures – Circulating Coin

Core specifications, mintage and value guidance for the 2002 Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 coin.

Aspect	Figure	Notes
Denomination	£2 (Two Pounds)	UK bi-metallic commemorative £2 coin issued for general circulation in 2002.
Metal, weight & diameter	Outer ring: Nickel-brass (76% copper, 4% nickel, 20% zinc) Inner disc: Cupro-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) Weight: 12.00 g Diameter: 28.40 mm	Standard modern UK £2 coin specification with a milled edge.
Year & event	2002 – XVII Commonwealth Games	Commemorates the 17th Commonwealth Games, hosted by Manchester from 25 July to 4 August 2002.
Circulation mintage	485,500	Official mintage; the lowest of all UK £2 coins, making it the rarest circulating £2 by number.
BU mintage (reference)	≈19,000 BU coins	Around 19,000 Brilliant Uncirculated examples sold in special sets and covers, separate from the main circulation mintage.
Designers	Reverse: Matthew Bonaccorsi Obverse: Ian Rank-Broadley	Reverse shows a stylised athlete with banner and national flag; obverse carries the fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Edge inscription	SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP · MANCHESTER 2002	Inscribed in incuse lettering around the milled edge, echoing the Games’ theme of friendship and unity.
Rarity	Rarest UK £2 in circulation	Multiple mintage lists and rarity guides rank this as the rarest circulating £2 coin, ahead of other Commonwealth Games designs and later low-mintage issues.
Typical value (circulated)	≈ £30 – £60	Recent guides and dealer prices for a normal circulated example usually fall in this range; particularly nice coins or graded pieces can fetch higher prices.
Typical value (BU, for comparison)	≈ £70 – £90	Brilliant Uncirculated examples in original presentation fetch significantly more than circulation pieces, reflecting the small BU sales figures.

💡 Collector Notes

This is the flagship rarity of the entire £2 series – the coin everyone quietly checks for whenever a battered Commonwealth Games design appears in their change.

Commemorative theme: The reverse shows a stylised athlete holding a flowing banner, with lines at the top representing running lanes or a swimming pool. A circular cameo behind the figure contains the Northern Ireland flag, marking the participation of Team Northern Ireland in the 2002 Games.
Part of a four-coin set: There are four near-identical 2002 Commonwealth £2 coins – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – distinguished only by the flag in the centre. The Northern Ireland version has the lowest mintage and is widely accepted as the hardest of the set to find.
How to tell it apart from the England coin: On worn examples the flags look very similar. For Northern Ireland, look for:
- the red cross on white background with a small crowned hand (Red Hand of Ulster) in the centre,
- a tiny crown above the hand on sharper coins.
The England coin shows only the plain St George’s cross with no hand or crown in the middle.
Rarity in circulation: With just 485,500 struck, this coin makes up only a tiny fraction of the total £2 pieces in circulation – estimates put the “chance in change” at roughly 1 in 1,000–2,000, before factoring in how many are now in collections.
Condition and value: Prices vary a lot with condition. Typical circulated coins (with honest wear but no serious damage) tend to fall in the £30–£60 region, while sharper examples, coins in original packs or graded pieces can go higher, especially when market interest spikes.
Collecting tip: When evaluating a candidate for your collection, check:
- that the flag details (hand and crown) are still visible,
- that the athlete’s outline and banner aren’t too flattened,
- that the edge inscription SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP · MANCHESTER 2002 is complete and legible.
Because of the coin’s value, it’s also worth watching out for heavily damaged or altered pieces, and for misidentified England coins being sold as Northern Ireland.

Commonwealth Games - Northern Ireland £2 Coin

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