About This Coin

💀 2016 Shakespeare Tragedies £2 – Brilliant Uncirculated

Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) bi-metallic £2 coin celebrating Shakespeare’s tragic plays with a skull and rose design – struck to a higher collector standard and sold in Royal Mint packaging rather than released into circulation.

BU Coin Summary & Key Facts

This is the Brilliant Uncirculated version of the 2016 Shakespeare Tragedies £2 coin, part of the three-coin Shakespeare £2 mini-series. BU coins were sold directly to collectors, with a relatively small presentation mintage compared with the millions of standard circulation pieces.

📊 BU Specifications & Values

Core details specifically for the BU version of the Shakespeare Tragedies £2 coin.

Aspect	Figure	BU-specific notes
Denomination	£2 (Two Pounds)	Legal tender UK £2 coin; BU pieces are presentation coins aimed at collectors, not struck for general circulation.
Metal, weight & diameter	Outer ring: Nickel-brass Inner disc: Cupro-nickel Weight: 12.00 g Diameter: 28.40 mm	Standard bi-metallic £2 specification with a milled (reeded) edge.
Year & theme	2016 – Shakespeare’s Tragedies	Marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, focusing on his tragic plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.
BU mintage (total)	60,807 BU	Approximate total BU mintage across all presentations, including single-coin Royal Mint packs and multi-coin BU sets.
Circulation mintage (reference)	4,615,000	Number of standard circulation coins; shows how much scarcer the BU presentation is by comparison.
Designers	Reverse: John Bergdahl Obverse: Jody Clark	Reverse carries the skull and rose design; obverse shows the fifth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Edge inscription	WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN	Line from Hamlet, struck in incuse lettering around the edge of the coin.
Quality	Brilliant Uncirculated (BU)	Struck using fresh dies and carefully handled to avoid bag marks; BU coins show sharper detail and brighter lustre than circulation pieces.
Original BU issues	Single-coin BU pack 3-coin Shakespeare BU set	BU Tragedies coins were sold both as individual Royal Mint packs and as part of a three-coin set with Shakespeare Histories and Comedies.
Guide value (BU)	About £8 to £10	Typical secondary-market range for a BU coin in good condition; pristine Royal Mint packaging can push values towards the upper end.

💡 Collector Notes – BU Version

The BU Shakespeare Tragedies £2 is the “collector grade” skull-and-rose coin – same striking design as the one in your change, but in a finish that actually lets all the little details breathe.

BU vs circulation:
- Circulation coins are struck in huge quantities and tipped into bags, picking up nicks, contact marks and general wear very quickly.
- BU coins are struck with better-prepared dies on clean blanks and handled more carefully, so the skull’s features, rose petals and lettering are much sharper and the surfaces remain bright and even.
Design details to check on a BU coin:
- crisp outline of the skull, especially teeth and eye socket,
- clear separation of the rose petals and stem,
- sharp, fully formed lettering in WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and the date,
- clean, readable edge inscription with minimal rim knocks.
Packaging & presentation: BU coins appear in:
- single-coin BU packs with Shakespeare artwork and information, and
- three-coin Shakespeare BU sets (Histories, Comedies, Tragedies).
Collectors normally pay more for complete, undamaged packs or sets with no heavy creasing or fading.
Rarity & demand: With around 60k BU coins against 4.6 million circulation pieces, the BU version is much scarcer in absolute numbers. Add the strong visual appeal of the skull design and the series’ literary theme, and you get steady demand from both £2 specialists and Shakespeare fans.
Collecting tip: If you’re building a full Shakespeare £2 mini-set in BU, try to match format (all in single packs, or all as a 3-coin BU set) and store them flat, out of direct sunlight, to avoid warping or discolouration of the packaging.

Shakespeare Tragedies £2 Coin BU

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