In 1999, the Rugby World Cup took place and was commemorated on a £2 coin, but how much is the 1999 Rugby World Cup £2 coin worth today?
A regular circulated version of the coin sells for around £2.80 according to the latest confirmed listings on eBay in 2022, although gold-proof versions are worth around £1,000.
In the rest of this article, we will explore how rare the coin really is by taking a look at the mintage figures as well as the other versions that were produced.
How Many Rugby World Cup £2 Coins Are There?
The coin was minted in 1999 with 4,933,000 released into circulation.
This is not particularly low for a £2 coin, and it places the 1999 Rugby £2 coin in 17th place in terms of the rarest £2 coins by mintage.
The Royal Mint also released additional versions of the Rugby £2 coin that were uncirculated and intended for coin collectors – the specifications for which can be seen below.
| Specification | Mintage | Estimated Value |
| Brilliant Uncirculated In Pack | Limited Issue | Around £10 |
| Silver Proof | 9,665 | Around £100 |
| Silver Proof Piedfort (0.925 Sterling – can develop toning on the reverse which can make it appear iridescent.) | 10,000 | Around £150 |
| Gold Proof | 311 | Around £1,000 |
The Design Of The Rugby World Cup £2 Coin
The reverse side contains a special commemorative series design that takes the place of the regular issue technological Bruce Rushin £2 design. This special commemorative edition displays the design by Ron Dutton. It depicts a stadium with a large rugby ball and a goalpost behind it, equally framed above and below the ball. The stadium is round with scalloped edges and raised dots to represent the fans inside.
The image is encircled with the date 1999, the words TWO POUNDS, and additional goal posts. The designer’s initials RD appear on the goalpost located next to the “S” in “POUNDS”.
A unique feature of this type of coin is that there is an inscription around the milled edge. Around the edge of this commemorative coin is an inscription. It reads, “RUGBY WORLD CUP 1999”.
This coin was the first commemorative £2 to be produced with the technology obverse design which was used between 1997 and 2015; an obverse which has paired with many other well-known £2 coins such as the London Underground and Charles Darwin coins.
What Does The Rugby World Cup Coin Represent?
In 1999, Wales hosted the 4th Rugby World Cup. This event was the first professional competition for rugby.
Rugby originated at the Rugby School in Warwickshire, England in 1823. William Webb Ellis is credited for inventing the game when he decided to pick up a ball and go during a football game. The World Cup trophy is named in his honour even though some dispute how it actually began.
Even though rugby had been a sport since 1823, the Rugby World Cup did not start until 1987. It would be still several more years before it would be recognized as a professional sport in 1995.
This 1999 event was rugby’s first professional competition after going pro which allowed players to be paid for taking part in the sport.
The series of games that are commemorated on the coin would be the 4th world cup. The entire event took place starting on October 1, 1999 and ended on November 6, 1999.
The games opened and closed at the newly built Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. A total of 20 nations took part in the competition to gain the title of the Webb Ellis Cup. Other games during the World Cup were played in Scotland, France, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and England.
While Wales had bowed out of the competition during the quarter-finals losing to Australia, the event was unique in that it took place in the brand-new stadium located in Wales. Australia ended up winning against France with a final score of 35-12.
Are There Any Errors Of The 1999 Rugby £2 Coin?
There are no confirmed error versions of the coin, so watch out for listings that claim that there are errors of the coin in an attempt to inflate the value.
The iridescence that is found on some proof versions of the coin, and in some cases even the circulated versions, is not an error and instead is a bi-product of the method used by the Royal Mint to manufacture the coins.
