The Royal Navy 2015 £2 Coin
The “First World War £2 coin” commemorates the Royal Navy’s efforts in World War One.
Marking the role of the Royal Navy in the First World War
Marking the centenary of the First World War in 2015, this £2 coin honours the Royal Navy.
With a detailed design featuring a mighty battleship (officially called a dreadnaught and based upon HMS Royal Oak), this coin captures the strength of a force whose contribution to victory in the First World War deserves to be remembered.
Is it a rare coin?
650,000 of these coins entered into UK coin circulation.
The Royal Mint also issued 100 of the coins in partnership with visitor facilities on HMS Belfast in London.
A different obverse was used on the coins in the 2015 annual coin sets since they were released on different dates.
The version in the coin sets has the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy whilst the circulated coins have the Jody Clark designed effigy.
See our article on coinage portraits of Her Majesty The Queen
Is there a First World War error coin?
UK Coin collectors have reported finding variants of this coin in circulation where it appears that a flag is flying on the mast of the battleship.
The thought that there were 2 versions of this coin put into circulation is not accurate, it is most likely cracks in the die caused a pool of metal to form on the coin.
Some eBay sellers are asking thousand of pounds for these “error coins”
Whilst interesting to add to your £2 coin collection, we doubt they are worth £2,000!
History of The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy began service in the First World War at the very outset, carrying troops to France to begin the campaign on land.
They would go on to do battle at sea, overcoming the threat of the German fleet and of their feared U-boats, maintaining a blockade that would cripple the German war effort.
Naval troops would fight on land, in the trenches, and in the air.
Honouring Britain’s oldest service is this UK £2 coin by military artist David Rowlands.
He has reflected the power of this force, as great as the sea itself, in his carefully crafted design that features a mighty Navy battleship.
It is a stirring design, a fitting commemoration of those who served with the Royal Navy, and a lasting reminder of these important centenary years.
The Royal Navy 2015 £2 BU Coin
- Release date: 2015
- Brilliant Uncirculated UK £2 coin
- A tribute and an official United Kingdom coin
- Find out more about the Navy in the First World War
- Product code: UK15W1BU
- Issue Price £10
BUNC Coin Specification
| Denomination | £2 |
| Alloy | Inner: Cupro-nickel – Outer: Nickel-brass |
| Weight | 12.00 g |
| Diameter | 28.40 mm |
| Reverse Designer | David Rowlands |
| Obverse Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS |
| Edge Inscription | THE SURE SHIELD OF BRITAIN |
| Quality | Brilliant Uncirculated |
Silver Proof Coin
- Struck in 925 sterling silver
- Product code: UK15W1SP
- Limited Edition Presentation: 5,000
- Issue Price £50
Struck in 925 sterling silver to outstanding Proof quality, the coin bears a meticulously crafted design by military artist David Rowlands – and only 5,000 will be struck.
He has depicted one of the Navy’s mighty battleships, a symbol of the strength of Britain’s oldest service, dominating the coin – powerful and proud.
This coin is presented in one a custom display case with the story explored in the accompanying booklet, prepared with the help of the Imperial War Museum.
Silver Proof Piedfort Coin
- Struck in double-thickness 925 sterling silver
- Intricate design by a respected military artist
- Product code: UK15W1PF
- Limited Edition Presentation: 2,500
- Issue Price: £100
Gold Coin
- Struck in 22 carat gold
- Product code: UK15W1GP
- Limited Edition Presentation: 750
- Issue Price £750
David Rowlands has created a detailed design featuring a mighty battleship to honour a force as great as the sea, and the crucial role played by the Royal Navy in the First World War.
What a tribute it is, as we remember the centenary of the First World War and take a journey from outbreak to armistice until 2018. And in these important anniversary years The Royal Mint has joined forces with the Imperial War Museum to ensure the memory of the war and those who fought lives on – their experts have assisted in the preparation of the fascinating booklet that accompanies the coin.
While the Great War is remembered most for the desolate miles of no man’s land and the desperation of the trenches, the Navy played an essential part. They fought not only at sea but on land and in the air, almost 35,000 men lost in securing victory.
This official UK £2 coin, the second in a series, bears a design by respected military artist David Rowlands. A mighty Royal Navy battleship is at the very heart of the design – in the years preceding the war Britain had embraced a transformation in naval technology, building a Grand Fleet that would rival even the most powerful of enemies.
It stands as a symbol of the power of the Navy, a force that would overcome the threat of the German High Seas Fleet and the peril of the U-boats to enforce a blockade that strangled Germany’s war economy and protected Britain’s supply routes.
Such a detailed design will intrigue collectors, those interested in maritime history and anyone who wants to learn more about the wartime story of the Royal Navy, a force as great as the sea.
