Uncommon: fewer than 10,000,000 minted. Sells often: 66 verified sales in the last 12 months.
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait XIII Commonwealth Games (1986)
"Commonwealth Games £2"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1986 |
| Denomination | 2 Pounds |
| Face value | £2 |
| Mintage | 8,212,184 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Commonwealth Games |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Nickel brass |
| Weight | 15.980g |
| Diameter | 28.4mm |
| Thickness | 3.30mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled with inscription: XIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCOTLAND 1986 |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Raphael Maklouf |
| Rev. artist | Norman Sillman |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Third crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D TWO POUNDS
St Andrew's cross surmounted by the thistle of Scotland below date.
XIII Commonwealth Games £2 market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateXIII Commonwealth Games £2 price history
Daily limit reachedXIII Commonwealth Games £2 value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDC | £6.51 🔒 eBay | £6.51 (1) | – | £6.51 – £6.51 | 1 | 1 | 15-10-2026 | |
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| UNC | £6.99 🔒 eBay | £5.49 | – | £2.77 – £6.99 | 4 | 4 | 01-09-2026 | |
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| BU | £5.45 🔒 eBay | £6.75 | – | £2.99 – £10.00 | 7 | 7 | 16-10-2026 | |
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| VF | £2.51 🔒 eBay | £2.64 | ▼12.9% | £0.30 – £13.50 | 47 | 47 | 15-10-2026 | |
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| PR-65 | £7.00 🔒 eBay | £7.00 | – | £7.00 – £9.45 | 6 | 6 | 23-09-2026 | |
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| PR-69 | £89.49 🔒 eBay | £89.49 (1) | – | £89.49 – £89.49 | 1 | 1 | 16-08-2026 | |
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About the 1986 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – XIII Commonwealth Games
The 1986 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – XIII Commonwealth Games is a collector 2 pounds coin in the Commonwealth Games series, struck in nickel brass. It weighs 15.98g and measures 28.4mm across. Reverse design: St Andrew's cross surmounted by the thistle of Scotland below date.
8,212,184 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 1986 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – XIII Commonwealth Games worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1986 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – XIII Commonwealth Games run from £2.64 to £89.49 across 6 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many 1986 Commonwealth Games £2 coins were made?
The Royal Mint's published figure is 8,212,184 nickel-brass coins struck to circulating standard. That is the largest figure for any of the single-metal £2 coins of 1986 to 1996. The Mint's current circulating mintage data starts at 1997 and does not list the coin.
Is the 1986 Commonwealth Games £2 legal tender?
Yes. The 1985 proclamation made the nickel-brass coin current and legal tender for any amount. The Royal Mint adds that this does not oblige banks or retailers to accept the old single-metal £2 coins, and says most will probably refuse them.
Who designed the 1986 Commonwealth Games £2?
Norman Sillman designed the reverse, which shows a Scottish thistle and a crown of laurel leaves over the cross of St Andrew. The obverse carries the portrait of Elizabeth II by Raphael Maklouf, used on UK circulating coins from 1985 to 1997.
Was the 1986 £2 coin ever in circulation?
Not in the ordinary sense. The Royal Mint says the single-metal £2 coins were issued to mark special occasions rather than for use in general circulation. Collector references add that shops did accept them but that they never became common in change.
Is upside-down edge lettering on this coin an error?
No. The Royal Mint says edge inscriptions are rolled onto the blank before striking, so the lettering can face either way relative to the Queen's head, and that there is no right or wrong way. It is not a mint error.
How do I identify the 1986 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – XIII Commonwealth Games?
Check the weight 15.98g and diameter 28.4mm and the metal (nickel brass) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The first UK £2 coin was struck in 1986 for the XIII Commonwealth Games, held in Edinburgh that year. The Royal Mint describes it as the first time a sporting event had been commemorated on UK coinage. It was not a general circulation coin: the Mint says the single-metal £2 coins issued from 1986 to 1996 were made to mark special occasions, and the bimetallic £2 used today was not struck until 1997.
A royal proclamation of 18 December 1985 authorised the coin in gold, silver and nickel brass, and made the nickel-brass version current and legal tender for any amount. The Royal Mint's figures give 8,212,184 struck to circulating standard, the highest total for any of the seven single-metal £2 designs.
The reverse is by Norman Sillman. The proclamation describes it as a St Andrew's cross surmounted by a crown of laurel, with a thistle of Scotland over all and the date 1986. The cross and thistle represent Scotland, the host nation.
The obverse has the portrait of Elizabeth II by Raphael Maklouf, with the legend ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D and TWO POUNDS below. The edge is milled and carries the incuse words XIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCOTLAND 1986, followed by the Llantrisant mint mark.
The coin is nickel brass throughout. It has the same 28.4mm diameter as the later bimetallic £2 but is much heavier, with a standard weight of 15.976g against 12g.
Varieties and errors
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
Edge lettering that reads upside down when the Queen's head is uppermost is sometimes offered as an error. The Royal Mint says of £2 edge inscriptions that the lettering is rolled onto the blank before the coin is struck, so it can face either way, and that there is no right or wrong way.
Collecting notes
With more than eight million made, this is the most plentiful of the single-metal £2 coins. Tony Clayton's Coins of England and Great Britain notes that these coins were accepted by shops but were never numerous enough to circulate generally, so many survive in better condition than ordinary change. The Royal Mint says banks and retailers do not have to take them today and that most will probably refuse.
On an example, check that the edge inscription is complete and that the high points of the thistle are not flattened. The proclamation also provided for a gold coin with a milled edge and no inscription, and for silver coins in two finenesses, 500 and 925, with the same edge lettering as the nickel-brass coin. Those collector versions are listed separately.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Two Pound Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Decimal Two Pounds, Coins of England and Great Britain (Tony Clayton) (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Commemorative £2 coins struck to circulating standard, 1986-96 (archived copy of 15 March 2012), The Royal Mint, via the Internet Archive (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for two pound coins commemorating the XIII Commonwealth Games (London Gazette, issue 50357, page 18122, 27 December 1985), The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- How can I dispose of commemorative £2 coins?, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- UK coin mintage figures (data file), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- The History of the £2 Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Single Metal Two Pound Coins 1986-1996, Check Your Change (read 9 Oct 2026)
- I have a £2 coin with a portrait of the Queen wearing a necklace. Is this rare or valuable?, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Why does the edge inscription on the £2 and £1 coins sometimes appear "upside down"?, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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