2020 Mayflower £2 Coin
The 2020 Mayflower £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
- 2020
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- Chris Costello
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 2020 Mayflower £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 2020 Mayflower £2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £2 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2020 Mayflower £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2020 Mayflower £2?
- The design is credited to Chris Costello.
- What is the 2020 Mayflower £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2020 Mayflower £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2020 Mayflower £2 was made
The Mayflower first set out from Southampton in 1620 alongside a second ship, the Speedwell. The Speedwell leaked so badly that both turned back. In September the Mayflower left Plymouth alone, carrying around a hundred passengers. Many were religious separatists seeking freedom to worship in their own way. After a rough crossing they reached Cape Cod in November and founded Plymouth Colony, though only about half of them survived the first winter. Before landing, the men aboard signed the Mayflower Compact, an agreement to govern themselves by common consent. The Royal Mint issued this two-pound coin in 2020 for the 400th anniversary of the voyage.
The Mayflower £2 never entered circulation through the banking system. The Royal Mint released it only in brilliant uncirculated packs and the 2020 annual sets, aiming it squarely at collectors on both sides of the Atlantic. If you've received one as change, it came from one of those packs and somebody spent it. It is still legal tender and worth two pounds at the till.
How to recognize it
Chris Costello's design shows the Mayflower herself, with MAYFLOWER 1620 - 2020 inscribed around the coin. It's a simple, direct design that lets the ship carry the story. The edge reads UNDERTAKEN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, words drawn from the opening of the Mayflower Compact. The obverse shows Queen Elizabeth II as portrayed by Jody Clark. A sailing ship on a 2020 £2 could only be this coin or one of the Captain Cook coins. The dates and edge settle it: the Cook coins say CAPTAIN JAMES COOK and carry Latin on the rim. Check the dates first, since they are the quickest clue.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2020 Mayflower £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2020 Mayflower £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2020 were Agatha Christie, VE Day 75 and Captain Cook III.
No commemorative £2 dated 2020 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2020 Mayflower £2
- Read the edge. It should say UNDERTAKEN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. 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 was no circulation mintage, so finding a spent Mayflower £2 is unusual. It has a ready audience among collectors interested in early American history as well as British coin collectors. Sharp pack coins bring a collector premium; worn ones bring a small premium. Look for a bright, unmarked surface on a pack coin and expect softened sails on one that has been in circulation. A genuine example has two distinct metals and a seamless joint. The edge letters should all be the same height.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2020 |
| 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: UNDERTAKEN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD |
| Designer | Chris Costello |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2020 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Agatha Christie £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2020 VE Day 75 £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2020 Captain Cook III £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell the Mayflower £2 apart from the Captain Cook £2?
Both show sailing ships, but the Mayflower coin reads MAYFLOWER 1620 - 2020 and its edge says UNDERTAKEN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. The Cook coins show part of the Endeavour, name Captain James Cook and carry a Latin edge.
Is the Mayflower £2 rare?
It's uncommon in change, since none were issued through banks, but plenty were sold to collectors so it isn't a significant rarity. A clean pack coin draws a collector premium and a worn one a small premium.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.