2019 D-Day £2 Coin
The 2019 D-Day £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
- 2019
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- Stephen Taylor
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 2019 D-Day £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 2019 D-Day £2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £2 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2019 D-Day £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2019 D-Day £2?
- The design is credited to Stephen Taylor.
- What is the 2019 D-Day £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2019 D-Day £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2019 D-Day £2 was made
On 6 June 1944 Allied forces landed on five beaches in Normandy, code named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. American troops went ashore on the first two and British forces on Gold and Sword. Canadian troops took Juno. They were supported by airborne drops behind the coast and a huge naval fleet. The landings had been planned for the day before but bad weather forced a delay of 24 hours. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and the start of the campaign to free Western Europe. The Royal Mint marked the 75th anniversary in 2019 with this two-pound coin.
The D-Day £2 was never handed out to banks for use in change. It was produced as a brilliant uncirculated coin for collectors and as part of the 2019 annual sets. That means any example you get back from a shop has come out of a collector pack and been spent. It's still accepted as legal tender at face value, two pounds, so you're free to spend it if you want, although most people who find one choose to keep it.
How to recognize it
Stephen Taylor's design looks like a military planning map. Strategic arrows sweep in from the sea toward the five landing beaches, each named on the coin: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. The date 2019 sits below. There are no soldiers, ships or aircraft, just the plan itself, which gives the coin a stark look. The edge reads THE LONGEST DAY, the phrase long used for 6 June 1944. The obverse carries the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. If your coin has the five beach names and the arrows but the edge says something else, treat it with suspicion: on a real coin the edge matches the design.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2019 D-Day £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2019 D-Day £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2019 were Wedgwood, Samuel Pepys and Captain Cook II.
No commemorative £2 dated 2019 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2019 D-Day £2
- Read the edge. It should say THE LONGEST DAY. 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.
No circulation mintage exists for this coin, so it turns up in change far less often than the £2 designs that went through banks. Interest is strong among military history collectors and tends to rise around anniversaries. Pack coins and set coins with crisp arrows and clean fields carry a collector premium, while worn examples sit at a small premium. Authentic coins have a gold-colored outer ring and a silver-colored center, fitted so neatly that the join looks like a fine drawn line.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2019 |
| 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: THE LONGEST DAY |
| Designer | Stephen Taylor |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2019 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Wedgwood £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 Samuel Pepys £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 Captain Cook II £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
Which beaches are named on the D-Day £2 coin?
All five Normandy landing beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Arrows point toward each one, as on a battle plan. The edge reads THE LONGEST DAY and the coin is dated 2019 for the 75th anniversary.
Is the 2019 D-Day £2 still legal tender?
Yes. It was never issued into circulation, only sold in collector packs and annual sets, but it is a proper British £2 and can be used at face value. A worn one from change still has a small premium for collectors.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.