2015 Magna Carta £2 Coin
The 2015 Magna Carta £2 is a circulating £2 with 1.5 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2015
- Circulation mintage
- 1,495,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Designer
- John Bergdahl
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2015 Magna Carta £2 worth?
1.5 million were made, so the 2015 Magna Carta £2 is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins and coins still in their original Royal Mint pack.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with crisp edge lettering
- Original Royal Mint pack or presentation folder
- A genuine mint error such as a misaligned or wrong edge, confirmed by an expert
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2015 Magna Carta £2 rare?
- No. 1.5 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2015 Magna Carta £2 coins were made?
- 1,495,000 were struck for circulation.
- Who designed the 2015 Magna Carta £2?
- The design is credited to John Bergdahl.
- What is the 2015 Magna Carta £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2015 Magna Carta £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2015 Magna Carta £2 was made
In June 1215, at Runnymede beside the Thames, King John agreed to a charter of rights forced on him by rebel barons. Magna Carta, the Great Charter, was meant to end a political crisis. It failed at first and was annulled within months, but it was reissued in revised forms in the years that followed. Over time it became a symbol of the idea that rulers are bound by the law like everyone else. Four copies of the 1215 charter survive.
The Royal Mint marked the 800th anniversary in 2015 with this £2 by John Bergdahl. Its circulation mintage was 1,495,000, on the low side for a £2, which means you won't see it often in change. It came out in the same year as the Royal Navy coin, the scarcest commemorative £2 of the period, so 2015 is a good year to check closely. The charter's ideas went on to influence legal thinking far beyond England, which is why the anniversary was marked around the world as well as at home.
How to recognize it
King John is shown with the charter, watched by a bishop and a baron. The coin presents it as a signing, though historically the charter was sealed rather than signed. MAGNA CARTA runs around the coin with the dates 1215 and 2015 below, separated by a hyphen. The edge reads FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY. The figures are small, so the faces and the document are the first details to wear. No other £2 shows a medieval king at a table with a charter, so the design is easy to identify once you know it. John Bergdahl, who designed several £2 coins of this period, created it.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2015 Magna Carta £2 by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2015 Magna Carta £2 ranks 13th lowest of 42 circulating £2 coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 1994 Bank of England £2 (1.44 million); the next more common is the 2013 London Underground Roundel £2 (1.56 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2005 End of World War II (VE Day 60) £2 with 10.2 million, about 6.8 times as many. The scarcest is the 1989 Claim of Right £2 with 381,400, 3.9 times fewer than this one.
2015 brought 1 other circulating £2 design: the Royal Navy (650,000). The 2015 Magna Carta £2 was the most plentiful of the year.
What to check on your 2015 Magna Carta £2
- Read the edge. It should say FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY. A wrong or missing edge inscription is the quickest sign of a counterfeit.
- Check the two metals: a silver-colored center and a gold-colored ring, with the ring tight and level all the way around.
- Weigh it: a genuine two-metal £2 weighs 12.0 g. Fakes are often a little light and softer in detail.
- Compare the portrait and lettering with a known genuine coin. Blurry letters, a flat portrait or uneven spacing point to a copy.
At 1,495,000 the Magna Carta £2 is one of the scarcer commemoratives in change, though it is more plentiful than the 2015 Royal Navy coin. Circulated examples bring a small premium from collectors, more for sharp ones. Lower mintage £2 coins do get copied, so check that FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY is cleanly lettered on the edge, that the center and ring are two different colors held firmly together and that the small figures are sharp. Coins from Royal Mint packs are bright with no contact marks, which sets them apart from pieces found in change.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2015 |
| Circulation mintage | 1,495,000 |
| Composition | Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring |
| Weight | 12.0 g |
| Diameter | 28.4 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY |
| Designer | John Bergdahl |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2015 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Royal Navy £2 Coin | 650,000 | Small premium |
| Britannia £2 Coin (2015 to 2022) | 13,650,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
How many Magna Carta £2 coins were minted?
The Royal Mint struck 1,495,000 for circulation in 2015. That is below the usual run for a commemorative £2, so it is noticeably harder to find in change than coins like the Army or Dickens designs.
Did King John sign Magna Carta?
No. The coin shows a signing scene, but in 1215 the charter was authenticated with the royal seal rather than a signature. The design is a symbolic picture of the moment rather than an exact record of what happened at Runnymede.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.