The Magna Carta £2 Coin has been in circulation for over 5 years now, so there’s a good chance you will have come across one of these coins already in your change – but how much are they worth today?
According to past sold values on eBay in 2022 the Magna Carta £2 Coin sells for an average of £3.51 in circulated condition, not including postage and packaging.
Whilst researching the value of the coin we came across several listings where the coin sold for over £6, so it is definitely highly sought after. Let’s take a look at the design and mintage to see whether this is justified or not.
Magna Carta £2 Mintage
The Magna Carta £2 coin was released in 2015 with a mintage of 1,495,000.
Other versions of the coin include a limited gold proof version with a mintage of 400, a silver proof version with a mintage of 3,000 and also a silver piedfort with a mintage of 2,000. These are all uncirculated and released for coin collectors to purchase.
There were two other commemorative £2 coins minted in 2015 alongside the Magna Carta £2 – these were the First World War Navy £2 and the Britannia 5th Portrait £2 – and both of these coins had a smaller mintage of just 650,000 which makes them even more scarce.
Does This Mean Its Rare?
The circulating mintage of 1,495,000 is definitely on the lower side for a £2 coin and does mean that the coin is pretty rare, and given that the coin was released just over 5 years ago it is likely that many still remain in circulation.
For some context, the rarest £2 coin has a mintage of 485,500 and an average selling price of £40.
The Design of the Magna Carta £2 Coin
The reverse design of the Magna Carta was designed by John Bergdahl, who has worked on several other coin designs for the Royal Mint. The design takes inspiration from the style of art from the 13th century and features King John alongside a baron and a bishop.
The obverse design features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth by Jody Clark.
The edge inscription reads FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY and around the design, the inscriptions MAGNA CARTA and the date 1215-2015 can be seen representing the 800th Anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.
The only other £2 coin released into circulation in 2015 was the 100th Anniversary of the First World War – Royal Navy edition.
Why was it made and what does it commemorate?
The Magna Carta £2 coin was made to commemorate the 800th Anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights that was issued by Kind John of England that was first termed in 1217. The charter brought about the protection of church rights, as well as protection for barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice and limitations on payments to the Crown.
Initially, the charter was a complete failure; neither side stood behind the requirements and it was annulled by Pope Innocent III which led to the First Barons’ War.
It was not until 1297 that the Magna Carta was confirmed as part of statute law, and from then on it had been typically renewed by each monarch.
Although only 4 of the 63 clauses of the Magna Carta are in use today, it still has significance within the regulations of the United Kingdom and is widely regarded as one of the most influential constitutional documents of all time.
Where can you get the coin?
For circulated versions of the coin, eBay is a great place to look.
Like we always say, make sure to do your due diligence before you make any purchases on eBay, and be extra careful to notice the delivery charge. There are quite a few people that list the coin for below face value and add a premium delivery charge, so always double-check.
Other versions, including gold and silver proof as well as piedfort, are usually available from the Royal Mint.
Are There Any Magna Carta £2 Errors or Misprints?
A quick browse on eBay will lead you to believe that there are minting errors on examples of the Magna Carta £2 coins. Such listings will list the coin at multiples of face value, even more so than the average value.
The Royal Mint has not confirmed any minting errors or misprints for the Magna Carta £2 coin, however, so be wary of anybody trying to market their coin as such.
If you’re ever unsure about whether a minting error is genuine a quick google search will give you no end of information, but make sure to check the Royal Mint’s website directly – if it isn’t confirmed there then people are usually trying to make a quick profit.
