Uncommon: fewer than 10,000,000 minted. Sells often: 58 verified sales in the last 12 months.
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Golden Guinea (2013)
"Guinea £2"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2013 |
| Denomination | 2 Pounds |
| Face value | £2 |
| Mintage | 2,990,000 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Bimetallic: copper-nickel center in nickel brass ring |
| Weight | 12.000g |
| Diameter | 28.4mm |
| Thickness | 2.50mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled with inscription: WHAT IS A GUINEA? 'TIS A SPLENDID THING |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Rev. artist | Anthony Smith |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around.
Crowned royal shield of arms as appeared on the 'Spade Guinea' of King George III, legend around, date below.
Golden Guinea £2 market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateGolden Guinea £2 price history
Daily limit reachedGolden Guinea £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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £10.80 🔒 eBay | £10.80 | – | £4.38 – £18.29 | 3 | 3 | 24-08-2026 | |
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| BU | £18.99 🔒 eBay | £18.99 | – | £16.95 – £21.95 | 3 | 3 | 20-08-2026 | |
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| VF | £3.99 🔒 eBay | £3.62 | – | £1.49 – £26.70 | 48 | 48 | 16-10-2026 | |
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| VG | £2.45 🔒 eBay | £2.45 (1) | – | £2.45 – £2.45 | 1 | 1 | 13-10-2026 | |
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| PR-65 | £18.75 🔒 eBay | £21.35 (2) | – | £18.75 – £23.95 | 2 | 2 | 04-06-2026 | |
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| VF-30 | £3.84 🔒 eBay | £3.84 (1) | – | £3.84 – £3.84 | 1 | 1 | 19-05-2026 | |
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About the 2013 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Golden Guinea
The 2013 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Golden Guinea is a circulating 2 pounds coin, struck in bimetallic: copper-nickel center in nickel brass ring. It weighs 12g and measures 28.4mm across. Reverse design: Crowned royal shield of arms as appeared on the 'Spade Guinea' of King George III, legend around, date below.
2,990,000 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2013 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Golden Guinea worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2013 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Golden Guinea run from £2.45 to £21.35 across 6 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many Guinea £2 coins were made?
The Royal Mint's mintage figures record 2,990,000 struck for circulation, all dated 2013. That is more than either of the London Underground £2 coins of the same year (1,560,000 and 1,690,000) and far fewer than the 15,860,250 standard Technology £2 coins dated 2013.
Is the 2013 Guinea £2 rare?
It is below average for a £2 but not scarce. Sixteen circulating £2 issues in the Royal Mint's figures have a lower mintage than its 2,990,000, including both London Underground coins issued in the same year.
Who designed the Guinea £2?
The sculptor Anthony Smith designed the reverse, recreating the shield of arms from the spade guinea of George III. The portrait of Elizabeth II on the obverse is by Ian Rank-Broadley.
What does the edge of the Guinea £2 say?
The edge reads WHAT IS A GUINEA? 'TIS A SPLENDID THING. The Royal Mint attributes the words to the writer Stephen Kemble. The question mark and apostrophe are part of the official inscription set by the royal proclamation, not a fault.
Is the Guinea £2 made of gold?
No. The circulating coin is the normal bimetallic £2, with a nickel-brass outer ring and a cupro-nickel centre. "Golden guinea" in the inscription refers to the historic gold coin it commemorates. A separate gold proof version was struck for collectors.
How do I identify the 2013 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Golden Guinea?
Check the weight 12g and diameter 28.4mm and the metal (bimetallic: copper-nickel center in nickel brass ring) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The guinea was Britain's principal gold coin from 1663 until 1813. Its value moved with the price of gold until 1717, when Sir Isaac Newton, as Master of the Mint, fixed it at 21 shillings: one pound and one shilling. The 2013 £2 marks 350 years since the first guineas were struck.
The design was set by a royal proclamation given at Buckingham Palace on 17 October 2012. The Royal Mint's figures record 2,990,000 struck for circulation, all dated 2013. That is well above either of the two London Underground £2 coins issued the same year, and well below the 15,860,250 Technology £2 coins of that date.
The reverse is by the sculptor Anthony Smith. It recreates the heraldic shield used on the spade guinea of George III, a coin issued from 1787 to 1799 and nicknamed for its shield, which is shaped like the blade of a garden spade. The inscription ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLDEN GUINEA runs around the shield, with the date 2013. Coin World reports that the design also includes a circle of 150 dots, one for each year the guinea was minted.
The edge is milled with the incuse inscription WHAT IS A GUINEA? 'TIS A SPLENDID THING, which the Royal Mint describes as a tribute from the writer Stephen Kemble.
The obverse has the fourth portrait of Elizabeth II, by Ian Rank-Broadley. The reverse states no value, so the denomination TWO POUNDS appears on the obverse with the legend ELIZABETH II D G REG FID DEF.
Varieties and errors
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin. The question mark and apostrophe on the edge are part of the inscription laid down in the proclamation, and the Royal Mint says edge lettering can face either way up in relation to the Queen's head.
Collecting notes
The Guinea £2 is the most plentiful of the three commemorative £2 coins dated 2013 . The proclamation made the base-metal coin current and legal tender, and the bimetallic £2 has not been withdrawn.
On an example, check the fine detail inside the shield, the lettering around it and the full edge inscription, including the punctuation.
Collector versions were struck as a silver proof, a silver piedfort and a gold proof, each listed separately on this site. Coin World notes that the silver versions were gold-plated on the outer ring to recall the look of the original guinea. Its companions from 2013 are the London Underground Roundel £2 and the London Underground Train £2.
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)
- Two Pound Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for two-pound coins commemorating the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the first striking of the guinea (London Gazette issue 60304, 19 October 2012), The London Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2013 Elizabeth II 'The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea' £2 Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Coin honors 'splendid' Guinea, Coin World (read 9 Oct 2026)
More 2 Pounds coins from nearby years
