Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted.
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History Gold Proof (2016)
Circulating version: 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2016 |
| Denomination | 2 Pounds |
| Face value | £2 |
| Mintage | 238 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Shakespeare Commemoratives |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 15.970g · 0.4707 t oz |
| Diameter | 28.4mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
A dagger through a crown, legend around, date below.
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not a sale of this coinWe have no sold price for this coin yet. This range is the middle of what 12 similar coins sold for as issued: the same denomination and metal, struck within 5 years. The lower figure is its metal value today. Treat it as a guide, not a valuation.
- £1,000
- £875
- £1,288
- £830
- £1,050
About the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History – Gold Proof
The 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History – Gold Proof is a collector 2 pounds coin in the Shakespeare Commemoratives series, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 15.97g and measures 28.4mm across. Reverse design: A dagger through a crown, legend around, date below.
238 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History – Gold Proof worth?
No verified sale of the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History – Gold Proof has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its gold content is worth about £1,410 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How is the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History, not the coin found in change. At 15.97g of 91.67% gold it is heavier than the 12g nickel circulating coin, so weighing it is the quickest check.
How do I identify the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, History – Gold Proof?
Check the weight 15.97g and diameter 28.4mm and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This is a collector version of the 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, History. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
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.
Sources
- 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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