2018 RAF Centenary £2 Coin
The 2018 RAF Centenary £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
- Rhys Morgan
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 RAF Centenary £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 RAF Centenary £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 RAF Centenary £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2018 RAF Centenary £2?
- The design is credited to Rhys Morgan.
- What is the 2018 RAF Centenary £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 RAF Centenary £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2018 RAF Centenary £2 was made
The Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 by merging the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. That made it the world's first independent air force, separate from both army and navy. It went on to fight the Battle of Britain in 1940 and has served in nearly every British conflict since, flying everything from wood and fabric biplanes to supersonic jets. The centenary year brought a large flypast over London in July 2018. The Royal Mint marked the RAF's hundredth birthday that year with this two-pound coin carrying the service badge and motto.
Despite the national celebrations, the RAF Centenary £2 never went out to banks for general use. The Royal Mint sold it to collectors as a brilliant uncirculated coin and placed it in the 2018 annual sets. If one has reached your purse or your till, a collector, or perhaps a relative clearing out a drawer, released it by spending it. It is still a lawful £2 and passes in change at full face value.
How to recognize it
The design puts the badge of the Royal Air Force at the center, with THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE running around it and the dates 1918-2018 below. The badge includes the eagle and the motto scroll, so the Latin PER ARDUA AD ASTRA appears on the reverse as well as on the edge, where it is lettered in full. It translates as "through adversity to the stars". Rhys Morgan designed the coin. The Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is on the other side. The motto showing up twice, face and edge, is a handy confirmation.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2018 RAF Centenary £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2018 RAF Centenary £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2018 were Armistice, Captain Cook I 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 RAF Centenary £2
- Read the edge. It should say PER ARDUA AD ASTRA (also present on reverse as part of badge). 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.
With no circulation mintage, a spent RAF £2 is an unusual find compared with the commemorative £2 coins that went through banks by the million. Condition makes the real difference: a bright pack coin or set coin is what collectors want and it brings a collector premium, while a scratched one from change typically fetches only a small premium. When checking authenticity, the edge should read PER ARDUA AD ASTRA cleanly and evenly, the two metals should show clearly different colors and the center should sit flush inside the ring.
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: PER ARDUA AD ASTRA (also present on reverse as part of badge) |
| Designer | Rhys Morgan |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2018 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Armistice £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2018 Captain Cook I £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2018 Frankenstein £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
What does PER ARDUA AD ASTRA mean on the RAF £2?
It's the RAF's Latin motto, usually translated as "through adversity to the stars". On this coin it appears twice: once on the scroll of the badge on the reverse and again around the edge of the coin.
Was the RAF 100 £2 issued into circulation?
No. The Royal Mint sold it only as a brilliant uncirculated coin and in the 2018 annual sets. An example found in change is a pack coin that someone spent. It remains legal tender for two pounds.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.