Uncommon: fewer than 10,000,000 minted. Sells often: 24 verified sales in the last 12 months.
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 5th portrait Shakespeare, History (2016)
"Shakespeare Histories £2"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2016 |
| Denomination | 2 Pounds |
| Face value | £2 |
| Mintage | 5,655,000 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Shakespeare Commemoratives |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Bimetallic: copper-nickel center in nickel brass ring |
| Weight | 12.000g |
| Diameter | 28.4mm |
| Thickness | 2.50mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled: THE HOLLOW CROWN |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Jody Clark |
| Rev. artist | John Bergdahl |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
· ELIZABETH · II · D · G · REG · F · D · 2 POUNDS ·
A dagger through a crown, legend around, date below.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2016
Shakespeare, History £2 market value
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AffiliateShakespeare, History £2 price history
Daily limit reachedShakespeare, History £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 | £10.79 🔒 eBay | £4.38 | – | £3.79 – £10.79 | 5 | 5 | 18-09-2026 | |
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| BU | £10.80 🔒 eBay | £10.80 (1) | – | £10.80 – £10.80 | 1 | 1 | 17-08-2026 | |
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| VF | £2.72 🔒 eBay | £3.75 | – | £2.72 – £16.15 | 16 | 16 | 15-10-2026 | |
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| PR-69 | £69.00 🔒 eBay | £69.00 (1) | – | £69.00 – £69.00 | 1 | 1 | 24-02-2026 | |
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| aUNC | £3.71 🔒 eBay | £3.71 (1) | – | £3.71 – £3.71 | 1 | 1 | 29-03-2026 | |
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About the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History
The 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History is a circulating 2 pounds coin in the Shakespeare Commemoratives series, struck in bimetallic: copper-nickel center in nickel brass ring. It weighs 12g and measures 28.4mm across. Reverse design: A dagger through a crown, legend around, date below.
5,655,000 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History run from £3.71 to £69.00 across 5 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many Shakespeare Histories £2 coins were made?
The Royal Mint's figures record 5,655,000 struck for circulation. That is the highest of the three 2016 Shakespeare £2 coins, ahead of the Tragedies coin at 4,615,000 and the Comedies coin at 4,355,000.
Is the Shakespeare Histories £2 rare?
No. With 5,655,000 struck it is the most plentiful of the three Shakespeare coins and a mid-range commemorative £2 by mintage. Thirty circulating £2 coins in the Royal Mint's figures have a lower total, including both of its sister coins.
What does the crown and dagger on the Shakespeare £2 mean?
The royal proclamation describes the design as a dagger through a crown. The Royal Mint says the coin represents the histories, such as the Richard plays. Change Checker reads the crown as the kings who give the plays their titles and the blade as their battles and wars.
What does the edge of the Shakespeare Histories £2 say?
The milled edge reads THE HOLLOW CROWN in incuse letters, as set by the royal proclamation for the 2016 £2 coins. The lettering can read either way up against the Queen's head, which the Royal Mint says is normal and not an error.
Who designed the Shakespeare Histories £2?
John Bergdahl designed the reverse, along with the Comedies and Tragedies coins issued beside it. The Royal Mint describes him as a seasoned coinage artist. The obverse portrait of Elizabeth II is the fifth coinage portrait, by Jody Clark.
How do I identify the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History?
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 Histories £2 is one of three coins issued in 2016 for the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. Each of the three takes one group of his plays: comedies, tragedies and histories. A single royal proclamation, given on 8 October 2015, authorised all of them together with the other £2 coins of 2016.
The Royal Mint's figures record 5,655,000 Histories coins struck for circulation. That makes it the most plentiful of the trio, ahead of the Tragedies coin at 4,615,000 and the Comedies coin at 4,355,000. Among the commemorative £2 coins of 2016 only the Army coin, at 9,550,000, was struck in greater numbers.
Older references can show different numbers. Change Checker reports that the figures first published for the Histories and Tragedies coins were revised in 2019, and the Royal Mint's current figure is the one given here.
The reverse is by John Bergdahl, whom the Royal Mint calls a seasoned coinage artist. The proclamation describes it as a dagger through a crown, with the inscription WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2016. The Mint's own description of the collector version says it represents the histories, such as the Richard plays. Change Checker reads the crown as the kings whose names title the plays and the blade as the battles fought in them.
The edge is milled and reads THE HOLLOW CROWN in incuse letters.
The obverse carries the fifth coinage portrait of Elizabeth II, by Jody Clark. The reverse has no statement of value, so the obverse legend ends with 2 POUNDS.
Varieties and errors
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
A wrong-edge error is documented for its sister coin, the Tragedies £2, where some coins carry the Army coin's inscription. Nothing comparable is recorded for the Histories coin by Change Checker or Check Your Change. Edge lettering that simply reads upside down against the Queen's head is normal: the Royal Mint's FAQ explains that the inscription is rolled onto the blank before striking.
Collecting notes
Read the edge. The three Shakespeare coins share the same obverse and the same reverse inscription, so the central design and the edge wording are what separate them. A Histories coin should read THE HOLLOW CROWN.
The coin was struck for circulation and remains current. The Royal Mint sold it with its two companions in a Brilliant Uncirculated three-coin set, and issued a silver proof piedfort with a booklet produced with the help of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The proclamation also provides for standard silver and gold versions, the gold with a plain lettered edge.
The scarcest of the three by mintage is the Comedies £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 designs for a new series of two pound coins (London Gazette issue 61384, 16 October 2015), The London Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2016 Elizabeth II 'The Shakespeare Histories' £2 Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- The Shakespeare Histories 2016 UK £2 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- To collect, or not to collect...the Shakespeare £2 coins!, Change Checker (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2016 Two Pounds, Check Your Change (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)
- The Shakespeare 2016 UK £2 Brilliant Uncirculated Three Coin Collection, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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