The Royal Mint issued £2 coins to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day during World War II.

The ringed-bimetallic £2 coins share the same design and are available in multiple metal and finish versions.

“The Royal Mint pays special thanks to the wartime generation who gave so much and honors their spirit and sacrifice with a £2 commemorative coin and historic coin set, which were created in association with the Imperial War Museum,” the Mint said, in a press release.

One of the most important days in British — and European — history, VE Day, celebrates a milestone anniversary this year.

Whilst 2020 sees the world face a different type of battle, May 8, 1945, saw the beginning of the end of World War II, the six-year conflict that cost millions of lives and shaped the future of countries and continents.

Design inspiration, meaning

The VE Day £2 commemorative coin was created by Royal Mint graphic designer Dominique Evans and symbolizes the first steps toward peace and recovery.

The reverse of the coin shows a person at the front of a celebratory crowd holding aloft a newspaper proclaiming V-E Day, the word VICTORY towering above the scene.

Inscriptions 1945–2020 and VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY appear inside the outer ring of the coin.

Evans said, “Iconic images of VE Day serve to remind us of the magnitude of events. Millions came together in the streets to celebrate the end of the war in Europe, inspiring me to put people at the very heart of this coin. The rays evoke search lights, a familiar sight in the skies during wartime, except here they represent rays of hope.”

Evans added, “VE Day is still a piece of living history. I hope the coin enables people to capture the poignancy of this landmark anniversary, one remembered by those who were there and celebrated by the generations that followed.”

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said, in a press release: “Our VE Day commemorative coin was inspired by a shared sense of community and loyalty. During these challenging times that the nation finds itself in, we may be unable to join with our loved ones to mark this national milestone, but it feels especially important that we come together to protect the older generation that sacrificed so much for us.”

Specifications, other details

All of the coins feature the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, and the edge inscription JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW.

All of the coins measure 28.4 millimeters in diameter.

The Brilliant Uncirculated copper-nickel/brass version weighs 12 grams and has an unlimited mintage. It comes packaged in a colorful descriptive folder and retails for £10.

Two Proof .925 fine silver versions feature gold plating on the outer ring. The regular silver coin weighs 12 grams and has a mintage limit of 4,750 pieces. It comes in a capsule and box, and sells for £67.50. A piedfort (double-thick version) silver version weighs 24 grams and has a mintage of 1,635 pieces. It comes in a capsule and box, and sells for £110 (but was unavailable at the Royal Mint website at press time May 7).

The final £2 coin in the program is struck in .9167 fine gold and weighs 15.97 grams. It has yellow and red gold to offer a contrasting look. The coin comes in a capsule and box, and has a mintage limit of 475 pieces. It retails for £1,055.

The Royal Mint has issued several other products for VE Day, some incorporating examples of the 2020 coins, and some offering only historic issues.

Among these products is a gold sovereign struck on May 8, the actual anniversary. The coin features a special VE Day 75 Mint mark, and the striking is authenticated by a hand-signed certificate of authenticity. Pricing for this coin was unavailable at press time.

The VE Day coin and historic sets are available to purchase from www.royalmint.com in a range of precious metal and base proof finishes, at prices starting from £10.

A donation from each coin purchased will be made to Imperial War Museums, to support their valuable work, according to the Royal Mint.

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