Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted.
2 Pounds - Charles III (Copper-Nickel - Off-Metal Error) (2026)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2026 |
| Denomination | 2 Pounds |
| Face value | £2 |
| Series | Silver Britannia |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 28.280g |
| Diameter | 38.6mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal |
| Obv. artist | Martin Jennings |
| Rev. artist | Philip Nathan |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
| Tags | Armour Monarch Allegory Flag |
Uncrowned portrait of King Charles III left, legend around.
· CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D · 2 POUNDS ·
Standing image of Britannia holding a trident in her right hand, with a shield bearing the Union flag and an olive branch in her left hand, security padlock, legend around. Note: wave effect
· BRITANNIA · 2026 · 1OZ · 999 · FINE · SILVER ·
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 2026 2 Pounds - Charles III (Copper-Nickel - Off-Metal Error)
The 2026 2 Pounds - Charles III (Copper-Nickel - Off-Metal Error) is a collector 2 pounds coin in the Silver Britannia series, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 28.28g and measures 38.61mm across. Reverse design: Standing image of Britannia holding a trident in her right hand, with a shield bearing the Union flag and an olive branch in her left hand, security padlock, legend around. Note: wave effect.
Common questions
How much is the 2026 2 Pounds - Charles III (Copper-Nickel - Off-Metal Error) worth?
No verified sale of the 2026 2 Pounds - Charles III (Copper-Nickel - Off-Metal Error) has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
What is the 2026 cupronickel Britannia error?
It is a 2026 one ounce silver Britannia bullion coin struck on a cupronickel blank and not on silver. The dealer Chards found examples in a delivery on 17 March 2026, and the Royal Mint confirmed a production error in a statement on 31 March 2026.
How many cupronickel Britannia error coins exist?
The Royal Mint said just over 200 coins were sent to one trade customer, and that a similar quantity was found in its own stock and quarantined. It has published no exact figure, and no source says how many, if any, reached private buyers.
How can I tell a cupronickel Britannia from a silver one?
By weight first. Chards reported the error coins at about 28.2g, some 2g to 3g lighter than a silver Britannia, with a diameter of about 38.6mm. An XRF test showed mainly copper and nickel. The design is the same as the silver coin.
Is the cupronickel Britannia an official coin?
It is a genuine Royal Mint striking but not an authorised issue. The proclamation for the Britannia £2 specifies fine silver, and the Royal Mint called the base-metal coins a production error and committed to replacing any product that does not meet its standards.
How do I identify the 2026 2 Pounds - Charles III (Copper-Nickel - Off-Metal Error)?
Check the weight 28.28g and diameter 38.61mm and the metal (copper-nickel) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This is not a coin the Royal Mint meant to make. It is a 2026 one ounce silver Britannia bullion coin, face value £2, struck on a cupronickel blank and not on silver.
The dealer Chards found the coins on 17 March 2026. Its goods-in checks showed some boxes of 2026 silver Britannias were under weight, and individual coins proved to be 2g to 3g light. An XRF test found mainly copper and nickel. Chards quarantined the coins and told the Royal Mint.
In a statement dated 31 March 2026, quoted by Chards, the Royal Mint called it an isolated production error lasting less than an hour, "impacting just over 200 coins sent to a trade customer". It said a similar quantity was found in its own stock and quarantined, that an unusual combination of circumstances had defeated its quality checks, and that further checks had been added. No exact number has been published, and no source says whether any reached private buyers.
The error coins carry the normal design of the 2026 silver Britannia. The reverse is Philip Nathan's standing Britannia of 1987, with a trident and a shield bearing the Union flag, and the Royal Mint's four security features: micro-text, a latent image that switches between a padlock and a trident, tincture lines and an animated wave background. The inscription still reads BRITANNIA 2026 1OZ 999 FINE SILVER, with DECUS ET TUTAMEN in microtext.
The obverse has the portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings with the inscription CHARLES III D G REX F D 2 POUNDS. The edge is milled with no inscription.
Varieties and errors
The coin is itself the error: a wrong-metal striking. Chards gives the metal as cupronickel, the weight as about 28.2g and the diameter as about 38.6mm, and notes that weight, diameter and condition vary because the presses were not set up for base-metal blanks. The proclamation for the silver coin sets a standard weight of 31.21g.
Collecting notes
Weight is the first test. A coin of this design that weighs about 31.2g is an ordinary silver Britannia. One near 28.2g needs a metal test, since a light coin could also be a counterfeit. Chards identified its examples by XRF analysis.
Nothing found shows these coins being released for sale. The Royal Mint committed to replacing any product that does not meet its quality standards, and Chards asks buyers who think they have one to contact the dealer or the Mint. Treat any example offered without test results and a clear history with caution.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- UK coin mintage figures (data file), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Base Metal "1 oz Silver" Britannia Coins - The Facts (includes the Royal Mint's statement of 31 March 2026), Chard (1964) Ltd (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Britannia 2026 1oz Silver Bullion Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and designs for a new series of one hundred pound and fifty pence gold coins; a new series of two pound and fifty pence standard silver coins (and other coins), notice 5045001, 6 February 2026, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
