There are 2 pound coins that have never been produced for general circulation, but were made for collectors and presentation sets etc. However on the odd occassion they do 'slip' into the mainstream circulation and are worth looking out for.
1998 Ornamental Arms, 3rd portrait and 'Decus Et Tutamen'
1999 Rampant Lion, 3rd portrait and 'Nemo Me Impune Lacessit'
If you have either of these then you are very lucky, or its a fake!!
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It is not true to say that the 1988 one pound coin was not produced for general circulation. The mintage is low (7,118,825) according to the Royal Mint, but there is no question that they circulate freely. When they were first issued I liked the design so much that I put aside every one that I found, and still do! I have never knowlingly spent one, but of course the ones I withdraw from circulation nowadays are 21 years old and generally quite worn. However, I do have a nice big bag of about 50 which are still shiny!
ReplyDeleteTalking of fakes, I also have a fake 1988 one pound coin which I picked up in Edenbridge in May. It is a very good replica which initially fooled me as it is worn to the correct degree and looks identical to any other 1988 pound you might see in circulation. However, what betrays its origin is that the inscription around the edge of the coin is of the smaller size not introduced until 1989, and not seen as DECUS ET TUTAMEN until 1991.
I also have a fake example of the 1998 Royal Arms design as described above and another dated 1999, although this is a mule with the Celtic Cross on the reverse.