2018 Frankenstein £2 Coin
The 2018 Frankenstein £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
- Thomas Docherty
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 Frankenstein £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 Frankenstein £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 Frankenstein £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2018 Frankenstein £2?
- The design is credited to Thomas Docherty.
- What is the 2018 Frankenstein £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 Frankenstein £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2018 Frankenstein £2 was made
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was first published anonymously in 1818, when its author was just 20. The idea grew out of a ghost story challenge during a wet summer by Lake Geneva in 1816, shared with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley. The novel tells of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who builds a living creature and then abandons it. It is often called one of the first works of science fiction. Two centuries on, the story is so familiar that many people know the creature better than the book. The Royal Mint marked the 200th anniversary of its publication with this two-pound coin in 2018.
The Frankenstein £2 was never released into general circulation. The Royal Mint sold it as a brilliant uncirculated coin in presentation packs and in its 2018 annual sets, which were the only ways to obtain one new. So finding a Frankenstein £2 in your change means a collector, or someone given one as a gift, broke the seal and spent it. You can still spend it yourself: the coin is legal tender for two pounds.
How to recognize it
Thomas Docherty designed the reverse, a design built around the story and its title. The surest test is on the rim. The edge reads A SPARK OF BEING, a phrase from the novel, close to the moment Victor brings his creature to life. The obverse shows the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, as on other 2017 and 2018 commemoratives. Check that the edge lettering is cleanly struck and evenly spaced. Unofficial medals and novelty tokens with a horror theme exist in large numbers, so a plain or mismatched edge, a single metal color or no royal portrait means it is not this coin.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2018 Frankenstein £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2018 Frankenstein £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2018 were RAF Centenary, Armistice and Captain Cook I.
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 Frankenstein £2
- Read the edge. It should say A SPARK OF BEING. 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.
Because the Royal Mint didn't strike any for circulation, a worn Frankenstein £2 shows up rarely in change. It has a ready audience among readers and horror fans as well as coin collectors. Condition shapes interest: an untouched pack coin attracts a collector premium, while a spent coin with wear on the high points usually earns a small premium. Pack coins have bright, unmarked fields. If yours has rubbed lettering and a dull surface, it has spent time in pockets, which is normal for a coin found in change.
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: A SPARK OF BEING |
| Designer | Thomas Docherty |
| 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 Captain Cook I £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Frankenstein £2 coin rare?
It isn't a great rarity, as collectors bought it in packs and sets, but it is uncommon in change because none were issued through banks. A clean example draws a collector premium. Worn ones carry a small premium.
What is on the edge of the Frankenstein £2?
The edge reads A SPARK OF BEING, a phrase from Mary Shelley's novel tied to the creature's awakening. It's the quickest way to confirm the coin, along with the two-tone metals and the Queen's portrait on the other side.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.