2018 Captain Cook I £2 Coin
The 2018 Captain Cook I £2 is a Royal Mint collector issue that was never released into circulation. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2018
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- Gary Breeze
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 2018 Captain Cook I £2 worth?
This design was never released into circulation. The Royal Mint sold it in brilliant uncirculated packs and annual sets, so almost every example is a collector piece. One found in change is still legal tender at 2 pounds; out of its pack it brings a small premium at most, while a coin still sealed in its original packaging is what collectors want.
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 2018 Captain Cook I £2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £2 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2018 Captain Cook I £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2018 Captain Cook I £2?
- The design is credited to Gary Breeze.
- What is the 2018 Captain Cook I £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2018 Captain Cook I £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2018 Captain Cook I £2 was made
In August 1768 HM Bark Endeavour sailed from Plymouth under the command of James Cook, a Yorkshireman who had learned his seamanship on the coal ships of Whitby. Endeavour herself was a converted Whitby collier. The voyage had a scientific brief, to observe the transit of Venus from Tahiti in 1769. It also had a quieter one, to search the southern oceans for land. Over the next three years Cook charted the coast of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia before returning home in 1771. For the 250th anniversary the Royal Mint planned three two-pound coins, one a year from 2018 to 2020. This is the first.
Like the two that followed, the 2018 Cook £2 went to collectors instead of banks. It was sold in brilliant uncirculated packs and in the annual sets for 2018. None were put into general circulation. If you spot one in change, it was bought new by someone and later spent, perhaps by someone who didn't realize what it was. It remains a fully valid £2 and you can pay with it at face value if you choose to.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the stern of the Endeavour as she leaves Plymouth in 1768, ensign flying, with the number 250 and Cook's signature, as the first piece of a three-part picture. Gary Breeze designed all three coins in the run. The ship is split between them: the stern here, the middle on the 2019 coin and the bow on the 2020 coin. Lay all three side by side and they make one long view of the vessel. The edge on this 2018 piece reads OCEANI INVESTIGATOR ACERRIMVS, Latin for "a keen explorer of the ocean". The obverse carries Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2018 Captain Cook I £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2018 Captain Cook I £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2018 were RAF Centenary, Armistice and Frankenstein.
No commemorative £2 dated 2018 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2018 Captain Cook I £2
- Read the edge. It should say OCEANI INVESTIGATOR ACERRIMVS ("a keen explorer of the ocean"). 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.
There's no circulation mintage for any of the three Cook coins, so a spent one is a notable find in a jar of change. Plenty of collectors chase the full trio, which keeps interest steady. Sharp pack coins carry a collector premium and worn ones a small premium. Before you get excited, confirm the details: the stern of the ship with the 250 and Cook's signature, the Latin edge and two clearly different metals. The ring around the center should be tight, with no glue line or gap.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2018 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Composition | Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring |
| Weight | 12.0 g |
| Diameter | 28.4 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: OCEANI INVESTIGATOR ACERRIMVS ("a keen explorer of the ocean") |
| Designer | Gary Breeze |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2018 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 RAF Centenary £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2018 Armistice £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2018 Frankenstein £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
How many coins are in the Captain Cook £2 series?
Three. The 2018 coin shows the stern of the Endeavour, the 2019 coin the middle of the ship and the 2020 coin the front. All share the same Latin edge and were designed by Gary Breeze.
Can you spend a Captain Cook £2?
Yes. It was never released into general circulation, but it is legal tender and worth two pounds in any payment. Given that it only came out of collector packs, though, most people keep one they find.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.