New Release: 2026 Royal Mint Annual Sets
New Release: 2026 Royal Mint Annual Sets
As a circulating coin, the Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 Coin is worth its face value of £2. However, collectors may pay more for high-grade examples or if the coin is scarce. Check our rarity score to see how sought-after this coin is.
High-quality images of the 2002 Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 Coin showing obverse and design details. Click any image to view full size.
Tip: Click any image to view it in full size. All images show the actual 2002 Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 Coin as issued by The Royal Mint, helping you identify genuine coins and understand their design features.
The Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 coin is one of those “check your change twice” pieces. It’s part of the famous 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games quartet, where the same core design was issued with four different flags - one for each UK home nation. Scotland’s version is the most obtainable of the set, but “most obtainable” is doing a lot of work here: it’s still a genuinely scarce circulating £2 coin.
| Coin | £2 (Two Pounds), bimetallic circulating commemorative |
|---|---|
| Theme | XVII Commonwealth Games, Manchester 2002 - Scotland |
| Year of issue | 2002 |
| Circulating mintage | 771,750 |
| Reverse design | Athlete holding a banner, with the Scottish flag in the inner circle |
| Reverse designer | Matthew Bonaccorsi |
| Obverse portrait | Queen Elizabeth II (Ian Rank-Broadley) |
| Edge inscription | SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP, MANCHESTER 2002 |
| Standard £2 specs | Diameter 28.4mm, weight 12.0g, thickness 2.50mm |
A lot of commemoratives are “nice designs” but common as rain. The Commonwealth Games set is different. These coins were made for everyday use, not as fancy collector-only releases, yet the mintages are low enough that many collectors still haven’t found a full set in circulation.
Scotland’s version is often called the “easiest” of the four to find, but it’s still under a million minted. In real-world terms, that means it can take a long time to spot one in change unless you’re actively searching (or you work somewhere that handles a lot of cash).
There’s also the set factor: once someone finds one Commonwealth Games coin, they tend to want all four. That creates steady demand, and demand is the rocket fuel that pushes values higher even when a coin isn’t ancient.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester were a big deal: a major multi-sport event on home soil, built around the idea of friendly competition and shared celebration. The £2 coin series leans into that “unity” angle by keeping the athlete-and-banner design consistent, while swapping the inner cameo to show a different home-nation flag.
For collectors, it’s a clever setup. You get a cohesive mini-collection (four coins, one theme), and each coin has its own personality. Scotland’s is anchored by the Saltire in the inner circle, which stands out beautifully against the bi-metallic contrast.
It’s also a great example of what makes modern UK coin collecting fun: you can still find these in the wild, which turns everyday change into a small treasure hunt.
The reverse shows a figure in motion holding a banner aloft. The banner and background are divided into lines that echo the lanes of a running track - a neat visual trick that connects the design to sport without needing a stadium, a medal, or a list of events.
The key identifier is the flag in the inner circle. On the Scotland £2, that’s the Saltire. Because the Commonwealth Games designs are so similar at first glance, most misidentifications happen when someone doesn’t slow down long enough to confirm which flag they’re looking at.
Look for the denomination £2 and the text referencing the Commonwealth Games. Many genuine pieces show some softness in the finer lines from normal circulation wear - that’s typical. What you don’t want is a coin that looks “off” in shape, thickness, or colour balance.
The obverse uses the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which appears on many UK coins from the late 1990s into the mid-2010s. On a normal circulated example, you’ll often see light flattening on the highest points of the portrait and the rim before you see serious wear on the reverse.
One helpful authenticity check: genuine UK £2 coins tend to have crisp, consistent lettering on the obverse legend, even when the fields (flat areas) show scratches and bag marks.
The edge inscription on this coin is a collector favourite because it feels like a motto rather than a technical note: SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP, MANCHESTER 2002. When you rotate the coin, the lettering should look clean and incuse (pressed into the edge).
Edge lettering can vary in orientation (which way up it reads) across genuine coins. That’s normal. What’s not normal is missing edge text, sloppy spacing, or edge text that looks “printed” rather than struck.
This issue uses the modern bimetallic £2 format introduced for UK circulation in the late 1990s. It has a gold-coloured outer ring and a silver-coloured inner disc. The outer ring is nickel-brass and the centre is cupro-nickel - a practical choice for durability and recognisable colour contrast.
If a coin feels dramatically lighter, thicker, or oddly “dead” when tapped compared to another £2, treat it as suspicious. Most people never need to worry about fakes, but the Commonwealth Games set is popular enough that it’s worth being alert when buying online.
The circulating mintage for the Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 coin is 771,750. In the UK £2 world, anything under one million is a real scarcity signal, especially for a coin that people can still stumble across in daily use.
Scotland’s coin sits in an interesting spot within the four-coin series. It’s the highest mintage of the quartet, which makes it the “entry point” for many collectors, but it’s still scarce enough to remain a key find. That combination (obtainable + desirable + part of a set) is why it stays on collector radars year after year.
Another way to look at it: lots of commemoratives are remembered because they’re old. This one is remembered because it’s hard to find even though it isn’t old by coin-collecting standards.
Finding scarce £2 coins is mostly a numbers game with a dash of luck. A single glance at your change once a week won’t do much. A simple, consistent routine will.
Most Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 coins you’ll encounter are circulated, meaning they’ve spent years bouncing through pockets, tills, and coin bags. That wear is normal, and it doesn’t erase collectability. It does, however, affect value.
With modern coins, eye appeal can matter as much as technical wear. Two coins might both be “circulated” but one has a clean reverse and the other looks like it fought a lawnmower. Collectors pay for the nicer one.
Cleaning can turn a collectable coin into a “damaged” coin instantly. Polishing leaves hairline scratches and unnatural shine that collectors spot immediately. If a coin is dirty, the best move is usually to leave it alone and store it properly.
Prices move with demand, condition, and where you sell, so treat values as ranges rather than promises. In general, this coin commands a premium over face value because it’s both scarce and part of a popular four-coin set.
For collectors, the best “value” isn’t always the cheapest price. It’s the best condition you can comfortably afford, especially if you’re building a display-quality Commonwealth Games set.
Modern coin collecting is full of viral claims: “upside-down edge text means rare” or “any rotated die is worth hundreds.” Most of that is wishful thinking wearing a trench coat.
A real error is usually obvious and repeatable in photos - not something you need to circle with red arrows and interpret like tea leaves. If you think you have an error coin, compare it to a standard £2 coin and focus on measurable differences.
If you’re buying this coin online, your goal is straightforward: pay for condition, not hype. The Commonwealth Games - Scotland £2 is scarce, but it’s also well-known, which means listings can be all over the place.
Once you’ve found a nice example, storage matters. Bimetallic coins can pick up marks easily when they rub against other coins. Oils from fingers can also leave dull patches over time.
Many collectors treat Scotland’s coin as the “gateway” into the series. Once you’ve got it, completing the set becomes a satisfying mini-quest. A full set looks great in an album or frame because the designs match so well while still being distinct.
A simple strategy: keep your best-condition Scotland coin as your “keeper,” then use any duplicates or other swap-friendly coins to trade toward the remaining three Commonwealth Games designs. Collecting is often easier when you treat it like a friendly economy.
Yes - it’s considered scarce for a circulating £2 coin, with a mintage under one million. It’s the highest mintage of the four Commonwealth Games designs, but still a difficult find in everyday change.
It reads: SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP, MANCHESTER 2002.
No. Edge text orientation varies on genuine coins. Value is driven mainly by condition, demand, and whether you’re selling a single coin or a set.
No. Cleaning usually reduces collector value. Store it properly instead.
