2017 First World War Aviation £2 Coin
The 2017 First World War Aviation £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
- 2017
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- Dan Flashman
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 2017 First World War Aviation £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 2017 First World War Aviation £2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £2 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2017 First World War Aviation £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2017 First World War Aviation £2?
- The design is credited to Dan Flashman.
- What is the 2017 First World War Aviation £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2017 First World War Aviation £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2017 First World War Aviation £2 was made
In the spring of 1917 British airmen flew over the Western Front around Arras in support of a major offensive, photographing German positions so the artillery knew where to aim. The cost was heavy: the Royal Flying Corps lost so many crews that April 1917 became known as Bloody April. This £2 belongs to the Royal Mint's run of First World War centenary coins issued between 2014 and 2018, with the two-pound designs picking out different parts of the war effort. The 2017 entry turned to the air war, a hundred years after it reached its deadliest point for British aircrew.
Unlike the earlier two-pound coins in that First World War run, this one was never paid out through banks. It went straight to collectors in brilliant uncirculated packs and in the 2017 annual sets. So if a worn example lands in your hand, it almost certainly began life in a pack that someone broke open and spent. Nothing about that changes its legal status. It's a proper British £2 and you can spend it for exactly that amount.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, a two-seat biplane, with a pilot and his observer aboard as they take reconnaissance photographs over the Battle of Arras. The R.E.8 was a workhorse for exactly this kind of spotting and photography work, so the choice of aircraft is no accident. Dan Flashman designed the coin. The edge inscription reads THE SKY RAINED HEROES, a short and somber line that ties the design to its theme. The obverse carries the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. A biplane on a £2 with that edge wording and a 2017 date is this coin and no other.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2017 First World War Aviation £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2017 First World War Aviation £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2017 were Jane Austen.
No commemorative £2 dated 2017 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2017 First World War Aviation £2
- Read the edge. It should say THE SKY RAINED HEROES. 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 is no circulation figure here because none were struck for circulation, so a used one turns up far less often than any of the standard £2 designs in change. Condition decides how keen collectors are. An example still sealed in its pack, or a sharp coin pulled from a 2017 set, commands a collector premium, while one carrying the knocks of everyday use generally sits at a small premium. Genuine coins have a neat circle where the yellow outer ring meets the silver center, with no gap or step you can catch a fingernail on.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2017 |
| 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 SKY RAINED HEROES |
| Designer | Dan Flashman |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2017 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Jane Austen £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell if a First World War Aviation £2 is real?
Check that the edge reads THE SKY RAINED HEROES, that the outer ring is gold in color with a silver center and that the two parts fit tightly together. The aircraft detail should be crisp, with clearly separated wings and figures.
Is the 2017 Aviation £2 rare?
In change it's uncommon, because none were issued through banks. Collectors bought it in packs and sets though, so it isn't a great rarity. A clean example draws a collector premium, while a worn one usually brings a small premium.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.