2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 Coin
The 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £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
- 2023
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- David Lawrence
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 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £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 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £2 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2?
- The design is credited to David Lawrence.
- What is the 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 made of?
- Bimetallic: cupronickel center in a nickel-brass outer ring. It weighs 12.0 g and measures 28.4 mm.
- Is the 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every two-metal £2 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 was made
J. R. R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, in South Africa, in 1892 and grew up in and around Birmingham. He served as a young officer at the Battle of the Somme before beginning an academic career. He became a professor of Anglo-Saxon and English at Oxford. His skill with languages shaped his fiction. He died in 1973, leaving behind The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and a vast body of writing about the world he called Middle-earth. His books remain among the best selling of the 20th century. The Royal Mint marked 50 years since his death with this two-pound coin in 2023.
The Tolkien £2 never reached the banks. It was sold to collectors as a brilliant uncirculated coin and in the 2023 annual sets. It drew interest from fans of his books as well as coin collectors. If you've found one in change, a pack was opened and the coin spent. It is legal tender at its face value of two pounds and can be used like any other £2.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows Tolkien's own monogram, the stylized letters he used as a personal mark. It's a restrained choice: there are no characters or scenes from the books, just the author's sign. David Lawrence, who also designed the 2020 Agatha Christie coin, created the design. The edge reads NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST, a line from a poem in The Lord of the Rings. The obverse shows King Charles III by Martin Jennings, since the coin is dated 2023. A monogram design with that edge identifies it at once. Novelty pieces with a fantasy theme are common, so check both.
The other side carries Martin Jennings' portrait of King Charles III, first used in 2022.
2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £2 coins dated 2023 were Edward Jenner, Flying Scotsman and Ada Lovelace.
No commemorative £2 dated 2023 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2023 J. R. R. Tolkien £2
- Read the edge. It should say NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST. 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 spent Tolkien £2 is an uncommon find in change. Demand is unusually broad, because fans of his books seek it out alongside coin collectors. A sharp pack coin draws a collector premium, while a worn one typically a small premium. A real coin has the King's portrait facing left, the edge words evenly spaced all the way round and a center that sits flush in the outer ring. If the portrait, edge or metals look wrong, treat it as a token.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pounds |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2023 |
| 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: NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST |
| Designer | David Lawrence |
| Portrait | Jennings |
Other 2023 £2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Edward Jenner £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2023 Ada Lovelace £2 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| National Flowers £2 Coin (2023 to today) | – | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
What does the edge of the Tolkien £2 say?
The edge reads NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST, a line from a poem in The Lord of the Rings. The reverse shows Tolkien's personal monogram, designed for the coin by David Lawrence.
Does the Tolkien £2 have the King on it?
Yes. As a 2023 coin, it carries the portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings on the obverse. It was sold only to collectors, never through banks. It is 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.