The Claim of Rights £2 is a highly sought-after old-style £2 coin, but how much is it worth today?
According to the most recent values in 2022, the Claim of Rights £2 sells for an average of £26 in circulated condition. Proof versions are worth substantially more, and if you are lucky enough to own the silver proof piedfort set this can be worth between £80 and £200.
There is a lot of information to unpack with this rare £2 coin, so let’s get into it.
Is The 1989 Claim of Rights £2 Coin Rare?
There is no doubt that the Claim of Rights £2 coin is rare.
With a mintage of just 345,891, the Claim of Rights £2 is, in fact, the rarest £2 coin to ever enter circulation. It has an even smaller mintage than the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 coin, which is the rarest £2 coin in current circulation.
It’s quite interesting to compare the values of these coins today, as the Irish Commonwealth Games £2 is worth much more to collectors with an average selling price of £37 despite having a larger mintage. This is likely because the older £2 coins were not intended for circulation, whereas the new £2 coins issued post-1997 were.
‘Old £2 Coins’
When the £2 coin was first introduced in 1986 it was rarely found in circulation and instead became more of a collectable coin, which is one of the reasons why the mintage figures tend to be lower for these coins.
7 of these ‘old’ £2 coins were issued between 1986 and 1996, and they are easily identifiable as they are fully golden in appearance.
Some of the other coins issued during this era include the 1996 Football £2 coin, as well as the 1995 United Nations £2 and the Dove of Peace £2 coin.
Claim Of Rights vs Bill Of Rights £2
Another £2 coin was issued in 1989 alongside the Claim of Rights £2, and this was the Bill of Rights £2 which has a very similar design.
The only real difference is the reverse inscription which reads ‘BILL OF RIGHTS’ instead of ‘CLAIM OF RIGHTS’, as well as the different crown, but it is important to know the difference as the Claim of Rights £2 coin is much rarer and valuable.
To put this into perspective, the Bill of Rights £2 had a mintage of 4,432,000 and is worth around £3.11 – quite the difference for such a subtle difference in design!
Other Versions Of The Claim Of Rights £2
Before we get into the other versions of this coin, it’s important to know that no gold version of the Claim of Rights £2 coin was ever issued. The golden appearance is instead caused by the Nickel-Brass metal used to craft the coin.
You can find the other versions that were issued summarised in the table below. Both silver editions were issued as a pair alongside the Bill of Rights £2 issued the same year, as well as the specimen version.
| Edition | Mintage |
| Specimen In Folder (With Bill of Rights £2) | 25,000 |
| First Day Cover Proof (in set) | 84,704 |
| First Day Cover Silver Proof (With Bill of Rights £2) | 24,852 |
| Silver Proof Piedfort (With Bill of Rights £2) | 10,000 |
Design and Meaning of the 1989 Tercentenary of the Claim of Rights £2 Coin
The reverse of the Claim of Rights coin features a design that was to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Claim of Rights in 1689. At the centre of the coin’s reverse is the Royal Cypher of William and Mary with the W and M interlaced representing King William III and Queen Mary II surmounting a horizontal Parliamentary Mace.
The words TERCENTENARY OF THE CLAIM OF RIGHT arc around the top of the image, and the dates 1689 and 1989 overlap each other on the bottom. The image is crowned with the Scottish Crown.
What Was The Claim Of Rights?
The Declaration of Rights sought to prevent a repetition of abuses by the King. In Scotland, William and Mary were recognized as King and Queen by the Convention of Estates on April 11, 1689. This convention adopted a Claim of Right which corresponds a great deal with the Bill of Rights in England.
On February 13, 1689, history was made when Prince William and Princess Mary of Orange were presented with a document by the Lords and Commons that marked a significant change in the course of the British parliament.
The document stemmed from the revolutionary events of 1688 which influenced the social, economic, and political development of democratic countries all around the globe.
The result would be free and regular elections, freedom of speech in Parliament, the proper distribution of governmental power, and protection of the rights of subjects and citizens.