Royal Mint's rarest £2 coins revealed - and one of the 'hidden treasures' includes Scotland nod

Do you have a rare £2 coin lying about in your spare change?

The Royal Mint has revealed nine of the rarest £2 coins in circulation across the UK today.

Do you have a rare £2 coin in your spare change?

The UK £2 coin “has become a hidden treasure within our everyday change,” according to the Mint. It has been circulating for 25 years and is often minted in limited quantities, adding to the intrigue and allure around it.

The coin’s history goes back to 1986 when the first commemorative UK £2 coin was struck for the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. This was the first time a sporting event had been commemorated on British coinage.

A coin is usually classed as rare if a limited amount of the piece was put into circulation, meaning there are less available for people to get hold of. The coin may have an unusual marking, and other times it can feature a familiar character or cartoon on it, which drives up demand from collectors.

So, if you’ve been rummaging around in your purse in the hope of coming across an interesting piece, you may be interested to know that the Royal Mint has revealed nine of the rarest £2 coins in circulation across the UK today.

9. Olympic Games Handover 2008coins, 918,000 of which were produced, features the passing of the Olympic flag from hand to hand, ‘Beijing 2008’ on the left and ‘London 2012’ on the right. Boldly bearing the inscription ‘I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD’ along its edge, the coin celebrates the young people of the world and the games bringing people together.

The coin was designed by Thomas T. Docherty, a product designer at The Royal Mint.

8. Olympic Games 2008Ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games, a coin was created to mark the centenary of the 1908 London Olympic Games. Designed by Docherty again, the reverse of the coin features a dynamic illustration of a running track with the years 1908 and 2008 displayed within the outlines.

The edge inscription reads ‘THE 4TH OLYMPIAD LONDON’ and 910,00 of this coin were made.

7. Olympic Games Handover 2012Commemorating the transition of the Olympic Games from London to Rio de Janeiro, the 2012 Olympic Games Handover £2 coin symbolises the passing of the Olympic flame from one host city to another.

The reverse design, created by Jonathan Olliffe, depicts a baton being passed between two hands, with the flags of the UK and Brazil joined in motion. The coin carries the edge inscription ‘I CALL UPON THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD’.

The mintage was 845,000 on this one, as the rarity on the coins becomes more prominent as we make our way through the list.

6. Commonwealth Games, Scotland 2002The 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester marked a significant milestone in British sporting history as the largest multi-sport event ever hosted in the UK. The £2 commemorative coin series for the 2002 Commonwealth Games includes designs representing the four countries of the UK.

The Scotland edition has an edge inscription reading ‘SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP, MANCHESTER 2002’, whilst the reverse, created by artist and sculptor Matthew Bonaccorsi, shows a dynamic figure holding a banner aloft, symbolising celebration, victory and sportsmanship. It also includes a St Andrew's Saltire flag encircled beside the athlete, and 771,750 of these coins were made.

5. Commonwealth Games, England 2002The third rarest coin in the 2002 Commonwealth Games collection of designs goes to the 2002 Commonwealth Games England edition. Bonaccorsi stepped in to make this coin again, which has a figure in motion holding a banner.

The reverse of the coin features the Saint George’s Cross, encircled to the left. The £2 was manufactured in the amount of 650,000.

4. Britannia Fifth Portrait 2015Britannia, an iconic symbol of the nation, made a return to British circulation in 2015 after being a common feature of British coinage for more than 300 years.

Despite the new design replacing Bruce Rushin’s Technology design, which had featured on the coin since 1997, the initial 2015 release is reportedly scarce and a favourite with historical collectors. The coin's mintage stands at 650,000.

3. WW1 Royal Navy Fifth Portrait 2015Heading into the top three, 650,000 of these coins were manufactured a decade ago. To celebrate the 100th anniversary