About This Coin

💀 2016 Shakespeare Tragedies £2 Coin – Circulating

Bi-metallic £2 coin issued in 2016 to mark 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, celebrating his tragic plays with a skull and rose design. One of three Shakespeare £2 coins released that year and a popular “skull £2” for change hunters.

Summary of Value & Key Facts

The Shakespeare Tragedies £2 was struck for general circulation and is still regularly found in change. With a circulation mintage of 4,615,000, it is classed as a common modern £2 coin, though it remains a firm favourite thanks to its bold skull-and-rose motif.

📊 Key Figures (Circulating Coin)

Core specifications and guide values for the standard circulating 2016 Shakespeare Tragedies £2 coin.

Aspect	Figure	Notes
Denomination	£2 (Two Pounds)	UK bi-metallic commemorative £2 coin issued for general circulation in 2016.
Metal, weight & diameter	Outer ring: Nickel-brass Inner disc: Cupro-nickel Weight: 12.00 g Diameter: 28.40 mm	Standard UK £2 specification with milled edge.
Year of issue	2016	One of three Shakespeare £2 coins (Histories, Comedies, Tragedies) struck to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Circulation mintage	4,615,000	Official mintage for circulation pieces. Change Checker rates it Scarcity Index 2 – Common.
BU mintage (for reference)	60,807 BU	Total Brilliant Uncirculated mintage: 22,060 in Royal Mint packs and 38,747 in other BU products.
Designers	Reverse: John Bergdahl Obverse: Jody Clark	Reverse depicts a skull and rose; obverse carries the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Edge inscription	WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN	Line from Hamlet; appears in incuse lettering around the milled edge.
Typical value (circulated)	About £2.50 to £4.00	Coin Hunter suggests a face-value guide but notes eBay sales around £3.31–£3.99; wider 2025 market summaries quote roughly £2.50–£4.00 for nice circulated examples.

💡 Collector Notes (Circulating Coin)

Among the three Shakespeare £2 designs, Tragedies is the “skull coin” everyone recognises. It’s not rare by the numbers, but the design and the well-publicised error variety keep it constantly in the spotlight.

Commemorative theme: Marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, specifically honouring the tragic plays – think Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and friends.
Reverse design: John Bergdahl’s reverse combines a skull and a rose to capture the blend of love and death that runs through the tragedies, with the legend WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and the date 2016 around the inner disc.
Error-coin hype: A small number of Tragedies coins appear to have been struck with the wrong edge inscription: “FOR KING AND COUNTRY” (meant for the 2016 WWI Army £2) instead of the correct “WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN”. These wildly mis-matched-edge coins can sell for dozens of times face value – press reports show sales around £30–£120+ depending on timing and condition.
Important distinction:
- A correctly inscribed coin (edge reads WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN) is not an error and is worth typical circulated prices.
- The rare error pieces show FOR KING AND COUNTRY on the edge instead – if you find one, it’s worth getting it checked and selling carefully via a reputable route.
Rarity in context: With 4.6 million made, the standard Tragedies coin is firmly in the “common commemorative” band – more interesting than a generic £2, but nowhere near the ultra-low mintage heavyweights like the Commonwealth Games series.
Collecting tip (circulated): For a nice album example, look for:
- good detail on the skull’s features and the rose petals,
- clear WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE lettering with minimal flattening,
- an edge inscription that is readable all the way round and not badly dinged.
If you’re checking for the error, read the edge text carefully – if it says FOR KING AND COUNTRY, you may have something much more valuable than an ordinary £2.

Shakespeare Tragedies £2 Coin

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