Elite: fewer than 10,000 minted. Sells occasionally: 4 verified sales in the last 12 months.
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy Silver Proof (2016)
Circulating version: 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, Tragedy
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2016 |
| Denomination | 2 Pounds |
| Face value | £2 |
| Mintage | 2,045 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Shakespeare Commemoratives |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 12.000g · 0.3569 t oz |
| Diameter | 28.4mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
A skull next to a rose, legend around, date below.
Silver Proof £2 market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateSilver Proof £2 price history
Daily limit reachedSilver Proof £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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR-65 | £52.70 🔒 eBay | £52.70 | – | £43.04 – £59.97 | 3 | 3 | 25-09-2026 | |
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| PR-68 | £263.00 🔒 eBay | £263.00 (1) | – | £263.00 – £263.00 | 1 | 1 | 21-04-2026 | |
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About the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy – Silver Proof
The 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy – Silver Proof is a collector 2 pounds coin in the Shakespeare Commemoratives series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 12g and measures 28.4mm across. Reverse design: A skull next to a rose, legend around, date below.
2,045 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy – Silver Proof worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy – Silver Proof run from £52.70 to £263 across 2 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its silver content is worth about £14.25 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How is the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy – Silver Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Shakespeare, Tragedy, not the coin found in change. It is struck in 92.5% silver rather than nickel.
How do I identify the 2016 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy – Silver Proof?
Check the weight 12g and diameter 28.4mm and the metal (92.5% silver) 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, Tragedy. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The Tragedies £2 is one of three coins issued in 2016 for the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, alongside coins for the comedies and the histories. All three were authorised by one royal proclamation, given on 8 October 2015.
The Royal Mint's figures record 4,615,000 Tragedies coins struck for circulation. That sits between the Comedies coin at 4,355,000 and the Histories coin at 5,655,000. Change Checker reports that a higher figure was first published and that the Mint corrected it in 2019, which is why some older lists rank the three coins differently.
It is the one coin of the trio with a documented mint error: a small number carry the wrong edge inscription.
The reverse is by John Bergdahl. The proclamation describes it as a skull next to a rose, with the inscription WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 2016. Change Checker explains the skull as Yorick's, from the scene in Hamlet in which the prince speaks to the dead jester's skull, and the rose as a reference to Romeo and Juliet.
The edge is milled and reads WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN in incuse letters, the opening of a line from Hamlet.
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 Tragedies' £2 Coin, 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)
- 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)
- Mis-strikes and myths, Change Checker (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Lot 9230, Elizabeth II 'Shakespeare' Two-Pounds, 2016, 'Tragedies', FOR KING AND COUNTRY edge (Spink Numismatic e-Circular 14, auction 21171), Spink (read 9 Oct 2026)
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