UK coins
All Aboard! Celebrate 200 Years of the Modern Railway with the 2025 UK £2 Coin
In 1825, history was made on the tracks between Shildon and Stockton. A daring new invention, steam powered locomotion, changed the world forever. Now, 200 years later, a UK £2 coin has been issued to commemorate that seismic moment.
The 2025 UK 200 Years of the Modern Railway £2 coin is a fitting tribute to the journey that transformed the world of rail travel. You may recognise it from the 2025 Annual Coin Set, but the 200 Years of the Modern Railway £2 is now been available individually.
The engine that sparked a rail revolution
It was 27 September 1825 when George Stephenson, the famed railway engineer, stood at the controls of Locomotion No. 1. With 36 waggons in tow, carrying coal, flour, passengers and dreams of industrial progress, it thundered along 26 miles of track from Shildon to Stockton.
Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
This was the first time steam-powered locomotion had carried passengers on a public railway, and the world would never be the same. In the decades that followed, railways would stretch across nations, shrink distances, fuel economies, and define the modern age.
Marking a milestone
To mark this bicentenary milestone, The Royal Mint issued the 2025 UK 200 Years of the Modern Railway £2 featuring Locomotion No. 1 in full steam. Designed by William Webb, the reverse captures the raw industrial power and promise of the steam engine as it surges forward, surrounded by the bold inscription ‘THE JOURNEY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD’ and the years 1825-2025.
Around the edge of the coin, the engraving reads ‘ACTIVE · LOCOMOTION NO 1’ – a direct reference to the pioneering machine that paved the way for a new era of rail travel.
Following in the tracks
This release follows in the tracks of the Flying Scotsman £2 released in 2023 to mark 200 years of the iconic locomotive. The 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 was also originally issued in the 2023 Annual Coin Set before being individually released later that year.
If you already have the 2023 Flying Scotsman £2, the 200 Year of the Modern Railway £2 is the perfect addition to your collection celebrating Britain’s legendary railway history.
Get on board and secure yours today
Don’t miss your chance to mark 200 years of transformative travel with this stunning UK coin.
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First ever Princess Anne £5 honours a lifetime of service
As The Princess Royal celebrates her 75th birthday in 2025, a UK £5 coin has been issued to mark the milestone.
Issued by The Royal Mint and personally approved by Princess Anne herself, the 2025 UK 75th Birthday of Princess Anne £5 is the first ever UK coin dedicated to Her Royal Highness.
A Royal and numismatic first
This coin marks a numismatic first, as Princess Anne has never before featured on a UK coin, and to make it extra special, The Princess Royal personally approved the design.
The reverse design features Princess Anne’s official Coat of Arms, along with an official photographic portrait by acclaimed royal photographer John Swannell, Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.
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Honouring a lifetime of service
From her earliest days, Princess Anne has remained one of the hardest-working royals, carrying out public duties since the age of 18 and supporting over 300 charities and organisations.
Image Credit: Chatham House, via Wikimedia Commons
Whether it’s representing the UK abroad, or devoting time to causes close to her heart, The Princess Royal has spent decades showing what it truly means to serve.
Passion for equestrianism
Her Royal Highness is perhaps best known for her love horses and her passion for equestrianism. Did you know, Princess Anne became the first member of the British Royal Family to compete in the Olympic Games? She represented Great Britain in eventing at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, however she unfortunately fell from her horse after he hit the 19th fence on the steeplechase course.
Her trusted mount, Doublet – a Thoroughbred cross gelding – helped her to victory at the 1971 European Eventing Championships, where she claimed individual gold. This dedication to the sport not only showcased her skill and determination, but also cemented her status as one of the most respected figures in the equestrian world.
Image Credit: The Gait Post
The 2025 UK 75th Birthday of Princess Anne £5 is a fitting tribute to her legacy and unwavering commitment to the Crown.
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The 2025 UK Royal Greenwich Observatory £2 – where space meets time
The 2025 UK Royal Greenwich Observatory £2 originally appeared in the 2025 Annual Coin Set, but has now been individually issued!
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350 Years of Navigation
In 1675, King Charles II commissioned what would become one of the most influential scientific institutions in the world – the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
Located in Greenwich, the Royal Observatory is quite literally the place where the world divides into the East and West Hemispheres, and it’s been at the centre of science, astronomy and navigation for three and a half centuries.
Image Credit: Josh268950 via Wikimedia Commons
From establishing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to guiding explorers across oceans, this historic site has played a pivotal role in how we measure space and time. And now, that story has been beautifully captured on a £2 coin.
A treasure trove of symbolism
Designed by Henry Gray, the reverse of this £2 coin is a treasure trove of symbolism, paying tribute to the Observatory’s rich legacy.
Within the reverse design, you’ll spot:
The Shepherd Gate Clock – one of the first public displays of Greenwich Mean Time.
The constellation Ursa Minor and its brightest star, Polaris – a guiding light in the night sky for navigators across the globe.
The Prime Meridian line on a globe – separating the eastern and western hemispheres.
The coin also includes the edge inscription ‘PERFECTING THE ART OF NAVIGATION’, taken from the Observatory’s founding Royal Warrant.
Not the first ‘time’ GMT has featured on a UK coin
In 2018, The Royal Mint released a series of 26 10ps, each featuring a letter of the alphabet and representing something quintessentially British beginning with that letter. The G 10p represented Greenwich Mean Time with the letter ‘G’ and a globe showing the Prime Meridian line.
220,000 G 10ps were issued in 2018 and a further 84,000 entered circulation in 2019. All of the A-Z 10ps are widely regarded as the hardest commemorative coins to find in circulation, due to their tiny mintages and the fact that up to 75% of them are thought to have been taken out of circulation by collectors.
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