2020 VE Day 75 £2 Coin
The 2020 VE Day 75 £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
- Dominique Evans
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 VE Day 75 £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 VE Day 75 £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 VE Day 75 £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2020 VE Day 75 £2?
- The design is credited to Dominique Evans.
- What is the 2020 VE Day 75 £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 VE Day 75 £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2020 VE Day 75 £2 was made
Victory in Europe Day, 8 May 1945, marked Germany's unconditional surrender and the end of the war in Europe. Crowds packed the streets of London and other cities, celebrating outside Buckingham Palace while Winston Churchill addressed the nation by radio. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were allowed to slip out and join the crowds that night. The war in the Far East went on until August, but VE Day became the day many people remembered for the rest of their lives. The Royal Mint marked its 75th anniversary with this two-pound coin in 2020.
The anniversary fell in a year when public celebrations were limited by the pandemic. The coin itself never went into general circulation. The Royal Mint sold the VE Day £2 as a brilliant uncirculated coin and in the 2020 annual sets. So if it turns up in a handful of change, a collector or a family member spent a pack coin. It remains legal tender and can be used for two pounds like any other £2.
How to recognize it
Dominique Evans, who also designed the 2017 Jane Austen coin, filled the reverse with a celebrating crowd, the word VICTORY behind them. Around the coin runs 1945 - 2020 VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY. The edge reads JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW, a reminder that celebration and grief came together on the day. The obverse shows Queen Elizabeth II in the Jody Clark portrait, a fitting pairing since she had joined those London crowds herself as a young princess. The crowd scene and the word VICTORY in the background separate it from the D-Day coin of the previous year, which shows arrows on a map.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2020 VE Day 75 £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2020 VE Day 75 £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2020 were Mayflower, Agatha Christie 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 VE Day 75 £2
- Read the edge. It should say JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW. 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 VE Day £2 is uncommon in change. Interest rises around anniversaries and among people collecting Second World War themes. Clean pack and set coins draw a collector premium, while worn ones usually rate a small premium. The tiny figures in the crowd wear down fast, so check them under a light to judge condition. On a genuine coin the yellow ring is nickel-brass with a white cupronickel center. The fit between them is tight all round.
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: JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW |
| Designer | Dominique Evans |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2020 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Mayflower £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2020 Agatha Christie £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2020 Captain Cook III £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
What does the edge of the VE Day £2 say?
The edge reads JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW. Together with the crowd scene, the word VICTORY and the inscription 1945 - 2020 VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY, it confirms you have the 2020 VE Day coin.
Is the VE Day 75 £2 rare?
It's uncommon to find in change because it was never released through banks. Collectors bought it in packs and sets, so it isn't a great rarity. Expect a collector premium for a clean coin and a small premium for a worn one.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.