2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 Coin
The 2021 Sir Walter Scott £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
- 2021
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- Stephen Raw
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 2021 Sir Walter Scott £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 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £2 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2?
- The design is credited to Stephen Raw.
- What is the 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 was made
Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1771. He trained as a lawyer and kept a legal post for much of his life while he wrote. He made his name with narrative poems such as The Lady of the Lake, then turned to fiction with Waverley in 1814, followed by Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and many more. His novels shaped how the world pictured Scotland and influenced writers across Europe. When a publishing collapse left him with huge debts in 1826, he set out to write his way clear of them. Edinburgh still honors him with the Scott Monument. Waverley station takes its name from his novels. The Royal Mint marked 250 years since his birth with this two-pound coin in 2021.
The Walter Scott £2 was never released into general circulation. It was produced for collectors and sold as a brilliant uncirculated coin and in the 2021 annual sets. If one appears in change, it came from a pack someone opened and spent. It's still legal tender and can be spent at face value, two pounds, wherever £2 coins are accepted.
How to recognize it
Stephen Raw, the lettering artist who also designed the 2018 Armistice coin, built this design around words. A portrait of Scott sits at the center with 250th ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH above. SIR WALTER SCOTT NOVELIST, HISTORIAN, POET is lettered in the middle ring with 2021 below. The edge reads THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE, a line from Scott's own verse. The obverse has the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Scott's name lettered across the coin and that edge leave little room for doubt. If the edge reads anything else, or nothing, set the coin aside as suspect.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2021 were H. G. Wells.
No commemorative £2 dated 2021 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2021 Sir Walter Scott £2
- Read the edge. It should say THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE. 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's no circulation mintage, so a worn Scott £2 shows up in change rarely. It draws interest from Scottish collectors and literary fans as well as coin collectors. Pack coins with sharp lettering bring a collector premium; worn ones usually bring a small premium. Since much of the design is fine lettering, wear shows quickly, so check the small text in the middle ring. A genuine coin also has the familiar two-tone look: gold-colored ring, silver-colored center and no visible gap between them.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2021 |
| 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 WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE |
| Designer | Stephen Raw |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2021 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 H. G. Wells £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
What does the edge of the Walter Scott £2 say?
It reads THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE, a line from Scott's verse. The reverse also names him as SIR WALTER SCOTT NOVELIST, HISTORIAN, POET, with 2021 for the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Who designed the 2021 Walter Scott £2?
Stephen Raw designed it, a lettering artist who also created the 2018 Armistice £2. That's why so much of the design is built from words, arranged in rings around a portrait of Scott.
Mintage figures: Two pound coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.