The First World War Navy £2 coin is one of the rarest £2 coins you can find in circulation today, but how does this impact its value to collectors?
According to values on eBay in 2022, you can expect to pay an average of £4.15 for a circulated 2015 First World War £2.
A combination of the patriotic design and low mintage figures has led to the coin being highly sought-after and collectable, so let’s jump into the mintage and design to get an idea of why this coin is so valuable.
How Many 2015 First World War Navy £2 Coins Are There?
The 2015 First World War £2 is one of the rarest £2 coins that has ever entered circulation.
There were 650,000 of these coins released into circulation, which is an incredibly small amount for a £2 coin.
This mintage makes the coin the 3rd rarest £2 coin in circulation, as well as the 4th rarest coin in circulation out of any denomination. The only £2 coins with a lower mintage are the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland and Wales coins.
Other Versions Of The Coin
Additional versions of the coin were issued for collectors, and these are summarised in the table below.
| Version | Mintage |
| Brilliant Uncirculated | 56,906 |
| Proof | 15,921 |
| Silver Proof | 3,694 |
| Silver Proof Piedfort | 1,946 |
| Gold Proof | 505 |
First World War Navy £2 Reverse Design
The reverse of the special commemorative two pound round coin features a design that was to commemorate the 2015 First World War Centenary Royal Navy.
The reverse image was designed by David Rowlands. It features one of the Royal Navy’s battleships to symbolize the power held by the Royal Navy during the war.
The battleship at sea is a dreadnought type, a design based on the appearance of HMS Royal Oak. There is also another battleship, clouds, and a biplane in the background to the left when looking at the coin, starboard side of the ship, and birds in flight to the right of the coin, port side of the ship.
The designer’s initials DR are seen in the waves toward the right side. They are incused and stand for the artist’s name, David Rowlands.
The text surrounding the coin’s reverse design reads ‘THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918’ on top and the date 2015 centred on the bottom.
The edge inscription reads ‘THE SURE SHIELD OF BRITAIN’ as a reminder of the essential role the Royal Navy plays in keeping the British Isles safe.
Coin Error Debate
There is some speculation surrounding this coin whether there is a second version of the coin that features a flag flying from the top of the ship’s mast. This is actually the result of a cracked die that caused pools of metal to form on the coins while striking. It coincidentally resembles the shape of a flag. It is sometimes called a rotated die error.
These error coins have shown to be very desirable amongst collectors and have regularly sold for as much as £20, but it is quite rare to find a genuine error on eBay these days.
Designer and Representation of the Coin
David Rowlands is a military artist selected by the Royal Mint to design this coin.
The 2015 First World War Centenary Royal Navy Two Pound coin marks one of the most important times in British history. The coin is part of the Royal Mint’s commemoration of the First World War. It specifically focuses on the efforts of the Royal Navy.
Where Can You Buy The Coin?
Looking for coins on eBay is one of the fastest and easiest ways to find rare collectables. Just make sure you do your homework, so there are no unpleasant surprises, and you are sure of exactly what you are buying.
The average selling price on eBay is £7 for this specific profile of those coins released into circulation. Of course, the exact price is going to depend upon what condition the coin is in.
