WW1 Centennial Coins UK: The Royal Mint Programme 2014–2018
The Royal Mint marked the First World War centenary with a five-year commemorative programme running from 2014 outbreak through to 2018 armistice. Five £2 coins, each issued on the centenary year of a key milestone, plus a 2014 Britannia 50p. The 2018 armistice poppies £2 was designed in partnership with the Royal British Legion and is the headline issue of the series. This guide covers every coin, mintages, realised prices and the heritage / military gift angle around Remembrance Sunday.
The centennial programme
The First World War began with Britain’s declaration of war on Germany at 11pm on 4 August 1914; it ended with the armistice signed at Compiègne and effective at 11am on 11 November 1918. The centenary of these dates — spanning 2014 to 2018 — was the largest coordinated UK historical commemoration in living memory. Government, military, museums, churches and schools across the country ran year-long programmes; the Imperial War Museum’s First World War Galleries reopened in 2014 after refurbishment; the iconic Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red ceramic-poppy installation at the Tower of London marked the outbreak centenary.
The Royal Mint’s contribution was a structured five-year £2 programme, one coin per year tracking the war from outbreak to armistice. Each coin was released on or near the centenary date of a key milestone, with the design reflecting the year’s historical focus: 1914 outbreak, 1915 maritime war, 1916 land war (Somme), 1917 air war (RAF formation), 1918 armistice. A 2014 Britannia 50p was also issued as part of the broader programme for collectors wanting a smaller-denomination piece.
The five £2 coins year by year
2014 outbreak — Lord Kitchener (John Bergdahl)
The 2014 Lord Kitchener £2 marked the centenary of Britain’s declaration of war on 4 August 1914. Designer John Bergdahl based the reverse on the iconic 1914 recruitment poster “Your Country Needs You” with Kitchener’s pointing finger. Edge inscription “THE LAMPS ARE GOING OUT”, from Foreign Secretary Edward Grey’s remark on the eve of war. The Kitchener design proved controversial at issue (some commentators felt the recruiting-poster imagery was too triumphalist for a war commemoration) which generated extra collector attention. Mintage 5,720,000 circulating.
2015 navy — battleship (David Rowlands)
The 2015 Royal Navy £2 marked the centenary of the maritime war and references the Grand Fleet of the Battle of Jutland era. Designer David Rowlands; reverse depicts a Grand Fleet battleship in profile. Edge inscription “FROM A FAR COUNTRY THE NAVY GIVES STRENGTH”. Circulation mintage 650,000 — the rarest of the five WW1 commemoratives and one of the lowest-mintage modern UK £2 coins overall.
2016 army — recruitment poster (Tim Sharp)
The 2016 Army £2 marked the centenary of the Battle of the Somme (1 July–18 November 1916), the bloodiest engagement of the British Army in any war. Designer Tim Sharp; reverse based on the iconic “Tommy” recruitment imagery of 1916. Edge inscription “FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY”, from John Maxwell Edmonds’s Kohima Epitaph. Circulation mintage 9,550,000 — the most common of the five years and the easiest to find in change.
2017 air force — RAF aircraft (Daniel Thorne)
The 2017 Air Force £2 was issued one year ahead of the RAF’s own centenary on 1 April 1918, marking the air war that emerged from 1917 onwards. Designer Daniel Thorne; reverse depicts an RAF aircraft of the period. Edge inscription “THE FIRST FROM THE LIGHT”. Circulation mintage 1,900,000 — one of the lower-mintage designs in the series and an underappreciated rarity in BU and silver proof tiers.
2018 armistice — poppies (Stephen Raw / RBL partnership)
The 2018 armistice £2 is the headline of the WW1 series. Released on the centenary day itself — 11 November 2018 — and designed in partnership with the Royal British Legion, the reverse depicts Remembrance poppies in a stylised composition with the inscription 1918. Edge inscription “THE TRUTH UNTOLD”, from the closing line of Wilfred Owen’s Strange Meeting. Designer Stephen Raw (also designer of the 2019 Sherlock Holmes 50p). Circulation mintage 1,950,000. A portion of premium-format proceeds was directed to RBL programmes.
Mintages and edge inscriptions
| Year | Coin | Designer | Mintage | Edge inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Outbreak (Kitchener) | John Bergdahl | 5,720,000 | “THE LAMPS ARE GOING OUT” |
| 2015 | Royal Navy (battleship) | David Rowlands | 650,000 | “FROM A FAR COUNTRY THE NAVY GIVES STRENGTH” |
| 2016 | Army (Somme) | Tim Sharp | 9,550,000 | “FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY” |
| 2017 | Air Force (RAF) | Daniel Thorne | 1,900,000 | “THE FIRST FROM THE LIGHT” |
| 2018 | Armistice (poppies) | Stephen Raw | 1,950,000 | “THE TRUTH UNTOLD” |
| 2014 | Britannia 50p (programme companion) | Royal Mint design team | ~5.7m | — |
| Series total £2 | — | — | ~19.77m | — |
Realised prices by year and format
| Year | BU | Silver proof | Silver Piedfort | Gold proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 outbreak | £6–£15 | £55–£95 | £140–£220 | £1,800–£3,200 |
| 2015 navy | £25–£55 | £75–£125 | £180–£280 | £2,000–£3,500 |
| 2016 army | £6–£12 | £55–£90 | £140–£200 | £1,800–£3,000 |
| 2017 air force | £8–£18 | £60–£100 | £150–£220 | £1,900–£3,200 |
| 2018 armistice | £10–£25 | £65–£110 | £165–£240 | £2,000–£3,500 |
| 2014 Britannia 50p | £3–£8 | £35–£65 | £90–£160 | £1,200–£2,400 |
Realised prices aggregated from eBay UK sold listings, Noonans, Spink and Baldwin’s over the past 24 months. Gold proof prices track gold spot.
2018 armistice as the headline issue
Of the five WW1 £2 coins, the 2018 armistice poppies issue is the consistent headline both in collector demand and in cultural weight:
- Centenary date alignment. Released on 11 November 2018 itself — the actual centenary of armistice. No other UK commemorative coin has launched on so resonant a single calendar date.
- Royal British Legion partnership. The poppy reverse aligns directly with the RBL’s Poppy Appeal symbolism, and a portion of premium-format proceeds was directed to RBL programmes. The coin is therefore both numismatic and remembrance-charity piece.
- Stephen Raw design. The same designer responsible for the 2019 Sherlock Holmes 50p and other modern Royal Mint commissions. The poppy composition is widely judged among the strongest WW1 commemorative designs internationally.
- Annual Remembrance Sunday demand. The 2018 armistice £2 sees a consistent November price uplift each year as collectors and gift buyers seek it ahead of Remembrance Sunday on the second Sunday of November.
The complete WW1 set
Most serious WW1-themed collectors aim to assemble all five £2 coins plus the 2014 Britannia 50p, giving a complete six-coin core covering the entire centennial programme. There are three practical assembly approaches:
- BU sealed in original packaging. Build year by year from BU singles in Royal Mint card. Total six-coin BU cost: roughly £55–£120. The 2015 navy will be the most expensive single (£25–£55).
- Silver proof complete set. The mid-tier sweet spot. Six silver proofs in original deluxe cases: roughly £380–£620 total. The Royal Mint also issued some “complete WW1 silver proof sets” in single deluxe presentation boxes; these now trade at £480–£780 with intact certificates.
- Silver Piedfort complete set. The trophy build. Six silver Piedforts: roughly £900–£1,400 total. Strongest format on resale across the WW1 series.
Some collectors extend the set with the matching WW2 anniversary coins — the 2019 D-Day £2, 2020 Battle of Britain £2, and the 2024 D-Day 80th 50p — for a 9-coin 20th-century-conflict collection. See our WWII commemorative coins guide for the WW2 side of the pairing.
Heritage and military gift angle
The WW1 commemorative £2 coins are among the strongest UK coin gifts in the British remembrance tradition. The natural gifting moments cluster around the second weekend of November:
- Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November — varies year to year, but always the Sunday closest to 11 November). The 2018 armistice poppies £2 is the natural primary gift; BU in original Royal Mint card is the price-conscious choice at £15–£25, silver Piedfort is the substantial-gift option at £165–£240.
- Armistice Day itself (11 November every year — not a UK public holiday but widely observed with two minutes’ silence at 11am).
- Military milestones. Retirement after long service, regimental anniversaries, military weddings, family military histories. The 2014 Lord Kitchener £2 for army families; the 2015 Royal Navy £2 for naval families; the 2017 RAF £2 for air force families.
For a complete framework on coin gifting including budget tiers and presentation options see our coin gifts UK guide.
Related £2 coins on MyCoinage
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Frequently asked questions
What WW1 commemorative coins did the Royal Mint issue?
How much is the 2014 Lord Kitchener £2 worth?
How much is the 2018 armistice £2 worth?
What are the mintages of the WW1 £2 coins?
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What is the "complete WW1 set" for collectors?
Why did the Royal Mint partner with the Royal British Legion?
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How does the WW1 set pair with WW2 commemoratives?
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Further reading
- WWII commemorative coins UK — the matching 1994–2024 WW2 series for paired collecting.
- £2 coin values UK — the full reference for bimetallic £2 values.
- Best £2 coins to buy — the top 10 collectable £2s in 2026.
- Coin gifts UK — the gifting framework including Remembrance Sunday and military milestones.
- Elizabeth II coins value guide — the wider Jody Clark / Rank-Broadley portrait era 2014–2018.
- Best UK coin investments 2026 — eight UK coin investments worth holding, with realised-price evidence.