Originally thought to be a one-off, but now more have come to light since this post was originally written in September 2016.
This is a newly discovered 2015 Britannia £2 coin error that concerns die alignment. Normally all modern British coins are aligned such that the when turned on a vertical axis (finger and thumb at the top and bottom of the Queen) the reverse should also be the right way up, i.e. Britannia’s head should be at the top in the 12 O’clock position. This is what numismatists call medal alignment.
For a few 2015 Britannia coins (and possibly a lot more) one of the dies has rotated resulting in incorrect alignment. When the ‘heads’ side is held at the top and bottom and the coin is rotated, Britannia’s head is facing towards about 4 O’clock, and is therefore out by about 100 degrees. Another has been seen which is almost upside-down, i.e. more than 100 degrees. Such errors shouldn’t be possible as the Royal Mint fix the dies in position and they shouldn’t be physically able to rotate.
The only way to photograph both sides at once, and the only way I can confirm another discovery is to take a picture in front of a mirror, like this:
This error was first confirmed by checkyourchange.co.uk in September 2016. If you have one of these die alignment error £2 coins, please let me know.
Collectability/Scarcity: 5 (for scale details see here)
The Check Your Change admin is Mr C H Perkins, publisher of numismatic publications in printed and eBook format. Author of "Collectors' Coins - Decimal Issues of the UK" and other books on British coins and related subjects.
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Duncan
26th September 2016
Found one exactly as mentioned on here in my pocket, when rotated by about 100 degrees
CYC-Admin
26th September 2016
Great. Can you email a pic with the coin in front of a mirror (so both sides are visible at the same time) to info@checkyourchange.co.uk. Thanks.
Danny
29th September 2016
I have one of these coins
CYC-Admin
29th September 2016
Great. Can you email a pic with the coin in front of a mirror (so both sides are visible at the same time) to info@checkyourchange.co.uk
Mark Thomson
4th October 2016
Hi,
I have just been given one of these coins I my change and although unusual in itself, I have noticed that the front and back are not aligned.
CYC-Admin
4th October 2016
Is it the same alignment as the coin shown in the pics? Can you email images (ideally with a mirror so both sides are visible) to info@checkyourchange.co.uk. Thanks.
Michelle
7th October 2016
I have one got it today
CYC-Admin
9th October 2016
The actual coin with the wrong alignment? If so I need to see pics of it in front of a mirror so both sides can be seen at the same time.
Nick
11th October 2016
I have one that’s completely flipped upside down
CYC-Admin
11th October 2016
Can you email pictures (ideally in front of a mirror so both sides are visible). info@checkyourchange.co.uk
Rachel
12th October 2016
I have one of these too! What is the value?
CYC-Admin
12th October 2016
Can you verify it with pics in front of a mirror?
grace
16th October 2016
hi there I have a brittania £2 coin and although it does not have the rotation problem, it instead does not have the ‘two pounds’ printed onto the back, and there is not date code on it either. can’t find anyone with the same problem so wondering if this is a misprint and if so is it worth a lot? please get back to me, thanks
CYC-Admin
17th October 2016
Sounds like it’s one of these fakes: https://www.checkyourchange.co.uk/fake-britannia-2-missing-two-pounds/
Angela
19th October 2016
Hi we have 1 of these coins but when the queens headis on the top the writing around the sides is upside down?
CYC-Admin
19th October 2016
That’s normal for all coins with writing on the edge. The letters are either one way or the other.
sue
20th December 2016
Hi I have one…what is it worth?
CYC-Admin
20th December 2016
I’ve not seen one sell for a while. Error coins are hard to sell on ebay as every 2nd plonker seems to describe their coin as ‘error’, ‘mule’ etc. I also get enquiries from people that just have a normal coin with normal alignment. Are you sure it’s the error version?
Mr Thatha Venkatarao
31st October 2016
I have a £2 Britannia coin 2015, Queens head at 12’oclock, Britannia head between 4 and 5oclock, I’m selling mine😀
CYC-Admin
31st October 2016
Good find. Where and how are you selling it?
Thatha Venkatarao
10th November 2016
Sorry for the late reply CYC-Admin, I’ve sold it to a London coin dealer for £200 😀, did I do the right thing ? Was it worth more or less, I had no idea how much their worth.
CYC-Admin
10th November 2016
Sounds a lot to me. I don’t think any London dealers I know would have been that bold to pay £200 for it. There was one on eBay that someone was asking £150 for but didn’t sell. I’m afraid I can’t use £200 as a guide value, unless you can provide me with the details of who bought it (over email, not in public).
Julie
1st November 2016
I have 2 of the britannia £2 coin 2015 if it’s one of the mis printed ones will that put the value up ?
CYC-Admin
2nd November 2016
Yes, definitely. But just by how much depends on who you can find to buy it.
George Kimmett
5th November 2016
I have one which I notified Change Checkers about a couple of months ago and was told that it was probably a fake. I have submitted photographs & would be keen to know a value.
CYC-Admin
5th November 2016
Thanks George. It looks like the die alignment error. I have one myself, have seen a few others since and first made it public here: https://www.checkyourchange.co.uk/2015-britannia-2-incorrect-alignment/
mike
15th November 2016
i have a brittania two pound coin with the i missing in the word vindico mine reads v ndico ?
CYC-Admin
15th November 2016
Quite often the downward strokes can get sort of lost in the rim milling and appear weak or don’t appear at all. An interesting curio but I would imagine unlikely to be all that significant.
Carol
29th November 2016
I got one today got to take the pic yet though will do it in morning
Jon Hanson
3rd December 2016
Hi we have one of these die miss alignment Britania £2 coins…Regards Karen & Jon
CYC-Admin
4th December 2016
They are out there!
Babsybaby1
17th January 2017
Hi. I have the Britannia coin, whilst they are both at about 12 o’clock, the queen looks right and Britannia looks left, is this correct?
CYC-Admin
17th January 2017
Yes, that’s normal.
ChrisA
24th January 2017
Hi,
I have one of the incorrect coins, can send a picture if you like, is there still an interested market?
Thanks
CYC-Admin
25th January 2017
Yes, there is interest in them. Send a pic in front of a mirror to info@checkyourchange.co.uk
Monika
7th February 2017
HI I have Britannia coin 2016. do you know now which number on scale is ??
Many thanks
Monika
CYC-Admin
7th February 2017
They seem to be quite common. No one knows how many were made yet.
Monika
8th February 2017
thank you
Sara
20th March 2017
I have one with queen up side down most at one clock and write up side down round it as well . Which was made up . Someone offer me £300 for it . I like to keep but could with some ex money to help pay me vet bills. I send e mail and pic see what you thinking
CYC-Admin
20th March 2017
Got the email. Sell it as it doesn’t matter if it goes up or down. Money today is money today, especially if you got it for face value.
Adam
12th July 2017
Hi cyc,
i have a £2 coin that is 2016 that seems to be slightly unaligned. Only slightly, not as obvious as the 2015 coins you have shown. But have you or anyone else noticed this in the 2016 coin?
CYC-Admin
13th July 2017
Can’t say I have.
Louis
19th April 2018
Hello mate.
I have a coin just like this that I have got from ebay (1.78 would you believe)!
It is not, however, the Britannia design.
It is a 2011 Technology ‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ coin, and it aligned perfectly on both obverse and reverse.
The two sides, however are misaligned by almost 180 degrees. Is this a known error coin or a one off? It seems the die has slipped so cannot be the only one?
I will email you photos upon its highly anticipated arrival and will do a mirror shot once I certify it is not fake. The photos seem worthy though.
Is a £2 struck as one piece by the way? No one seems certain of those I have asked. Thanks mate.
Louis.
CYC-Admin
3rd May 2018
There are a number of rotated die errors cropping up for £2 coins lately. I have one here (2015 tech reverse). The £2 coins for circulation are made using 2 pieces, which are pushed together at the same time as they are struck with the dies. Interestingly, the coins for BU packaging have both pieces pushed together first and are then struck with the dies.