London Underground £2 coins in circulation for 150th anniversary celebrations

Look out for the special £2 coins in your change at Tube ticket machines.  To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, these new coins by The Royal Mint are firstly going  into circulation at selected Tube stations in machines, then you might find them amongst your coins from change at ticket offices and finally in general circulation later this year.

There's two different designs. The roundel £2 coin,  was created by designer Edwina Ellis and the edge inscription simply says 'Mind the gap'.

 

The other features a 1967 Victoria line Tube train.  The coin was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby who designed the world-famous London 2012 Olympic Torch.  This coin shows the front of the train coming out of a tunnel, but also has a linear reprsentation of the Tube map running around the edge.

 

If you don't fancy your chances of getting one in your change, The Royal Mint are selling sets of London Underground coins on their website from £20 - see photo above - you can get both coins in some nice packaging.  Inside the CD sized pack there's a double-sided poster, which  features a close-up of Tower Hill station on the London Underground map.  Apparently The Royal Mint was housed there from 1279 until the 1960s.

There's also a whole host of the fun facts or most famous figures about each Tube line on the poster.  For instance you may now that the Bakerloo Line has the station that uses the most platforms.  But did you also know that during the war after an air raid a whole wedding party had to move to Edgware Road station.  The stationmaster even provided the newlyweds with an improvised honeymoon suite, by ushering them into a lift and stopping it halfway up the shaft.

Mike Brown, the Managing Director of London Underground, said: "London Underground has always played a vital role in the economic growth of the capital and the UK and these attractive coins are a wonderful celebration of its success over the last 150 years."

The Royal Mint said "It's very rare for two circulating coins to have the same theme, adding to the appeal of these stunning coins for collectors, Londoners and transport enthusiasts alike."

For those who want to splash out on more than £20, the Royal Mint has gold & silver proof coins at the more professional collector's price range starting at £50 and rising to a couple of thousand!

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