Darwin 2 Pound Coin

Introducing the Charles Darwin 2 Pound Coin

As a way to celebrate the continuing legacy of Charles Darwin, the Royal Mint released the Charles Darwin 2 pound coin in 2009 for his 200^th birthday. Charles Darwin was born 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury. His studies at the University of Cambridge brought him to his passion for natural science. But it wasn’t until he embarked on the now famous voyage on the HMS Beagle that he gained the inspiration for the book that would change the way the world would think about natural history. Using evidence he gathered on his voyage on the Beagle, Darwin created ‘On the Origin of Species’, published in 1859. That work is considered the foundation for evolutionary biology and those ideas are still being taught today. 

Charles Darwin 2009 2 Pound Coin

The Charles Darwin 2 pound coin features the influential British scientist in fine detail, his profile portrait staring directly at one of the creatures included in his theories, the chimpanzee. Designed by Suzie Zamit, the year of his birth, 1809, and the year of the coin’s release, flank ‘Darwin’ on the center upper perimeter of the coin. The coin’s edge inscription, ‘On the Origin of Species 1859’ commemorates Darwin’s most famous work. 

Suzie Zamia describes her first idea, “My immediate idea was to depict Darwin looking back into the past so the starting point was to have him in full or 3/4 profile on one side and there were a variety of options for the other. I decided having Darwin and an ape was the simplest and most recognizable way of saying EVOLUTION”

(Caption: Photo of Charles Darwin by Julia Margaret Cameron)

How Much is the Charles Darwin 2 Pound Coin Worth?

The Charles Darwin 2 pound coin has a mintage of 3.9 million. This mintage figure is on the lower end of what the Royal Mint releases, however not as limited as the 2002 Commonwealth Games 2 pound coin or the King James Bible 2-pound coin. The coin is considered a less common find. 

On eBay, as of 2019, the highest sold price was £11.50 for a single circulation coin. 

Other Versions of the Charles Darwin 2 Pound Coin

You can find the Charles Darwin 2 pound coin outside of circulation as well. The Royal Mint released the Brilliant Uncirculated version, mintage of 25,000, the Silver Proof version, mintage of 5,000, the Silver Proof Piedfort, mintage of 1,000, and the Gold Proof version, mintage of 1,000.