2015 Britannia £2 incorrect alignment

By on 22nd September 2016

diealignmenterrorobv diealignmenterrorrev

Originally thought to be a one-off, but now more have come to light since this post was originally written in September 2016.

This is a newly discovered 2015 Britannia £2 coin error that concerns die alignment. Normally all modern British coins are aligned such that the when turned on a vertical axis (finger and thumb at the top and bottom of the Queen) the reverse should also be the right way up, i.e. Britannia’s head should be at the top in the 12 O’clock position. This is what numismatists call medal alignment.

For a few 2015 Britannia coins (and possibly a lot more) one of the dies has rotated resulting in incorrect alignment. When the ‘heads’ side is held at the top and bottom and the coin is rotated, Britannia’s head is facing towards about 4 O’clock, and is therefore out by about 100 degrees. Another has been seen which is almost upside-down, i.e. more than 100 degrees. Such errors shouldn’t be possible as the Royal Mint fix the dies in position and they shouldn’t be physically able to rotate.

The only way to photograph both sides at once, and the only way I can confirm another discovery is to take a picture in front of a mirror, like this:

alignmenterrormirror

This error was first confirmed by checkyourchange.co.uk in September 2016. If you have one of these die alignment error £2 coins, please let me know.

Collectability/Scarcity: 5 (for scale details see here)

 

The Check Your Change admin is Mr C H Perkins, publisher of numismatic publications in printed and eBook format. Author of "Collectors' Coins - Decimal Issues of the UK" and other books on British coins and related subjects.

Comments

  1. Duncan
    26th September 2016

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    Found one exactly as mentioned on here in my pocket, when rotated by about 100 degrees

  2. Danny
    29th September 2016

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    I have one of these coins

  3. Mark Thomson
    4th October 2016

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    Hi,

    I have just been given one of these coins I my change and although unusual in itself, I have noticed that the front and back are not aligned.

  4. Michelle
    7th October 2016

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    I have one got it today

    • CYC-Admin
      9th October 2016

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      The actual coin with the wrong alignment? If so I need to see pics of it in front of a mirror so both sides can be seen at the same time.

  5. Nick
    11th October 2016

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    I have one that’s completely flipped upside down

  6. Rachel
    12th October 2016

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    I have one of these too! What is the value?

  7. grace
    16th October 2016

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    hi there I have a brittania £2 coin and although it does not have the rotation problem, it instead does not have the ‘two pounds’ printed onto the back, and there is not date code on it either. can’t find anyone with the same problem so wondering if this is a misprint and if so is it worth a lot? please get back to me, thanks

  8. Angela
    19th October 2016

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    Hi we have 1 of these coins but when the queens headis on the top the writing around the sides is upside down?

    • CYC-Admin
      19th October 2016

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      That’s normal for all coins with writing on the edge. The letters are either one way or the other.

      • sue
        20th December 2016

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        Hi I have one…what is it worth?

        • CYC-Admin
          20th December 2016

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          I’ve not seen one sell for a while. Error coins are hard to sell on ebay as every 2nd plonker seems to describe their coin as ‘error’, ‘mule’ etc. I also get enquiries from people that just have a normal coin with normal alignment. Are you sure it’s the error version?

  9. Mr Thatha Venkatarao
    31st October 2016

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    I have a £2 Britannia coin 2015, Queens head at 12’oclock, Britannia head between 4 and 5oclock, I’m selling mine😀

    • CYC-Admin
      31st October 2016

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      Good find. Where and how are you selling it?

      • Thatha Venkatarao
        10th November 2016

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        Sorry for the late reply CYC-Admin, I’ve sold it to a London coin dealer for £200 😀, did I do the right thing ? Was it worth more or less, I had no idea how much their worth.

        • CYC-Admin
          10th November 2016

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          Sounds a lot to me. I don’t think any London dealers I know would have been that bold to pay £200 for it. There was one on eBay that someone was asking £150 for but didn’t sell. I’m afraid I can’t use £200 as a guide value, unless you can provide me with the details of who bought it (over email, not in public).

  10. Julie
    1st November 2016

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    I have 2 of the britannia £2 coin 2015 if it’s one of the mis printed ones will that put the value up ?

    • CYC-Admin
      2nd November 2016

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      Yes, definitely. But just by how much depends on who you can find to buy it.

  11. George Kimmett
    5th November 2016

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    I have one which I notified Change Checkers about a couple of months ago and was told that it was probably a fake. I have submitted photographs & would be keen to know a value.

  12. mike
    15th November 2016

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    i have a brittania two pound coin with the i missing in the word vindico mine reads v ndico ?

    • CYC-Admin
      15th November 2016

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      Quite often the downward strokes can get sort of lost in the rim milling and appear weak or don’t appear at all. An interesting curio but I would imagine unlikely to be all that significant.

  13. Carol
    29th November 2016

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    I got one today got to take the pic yet though will do it in morning

  14. Jon Hanson
    3rd December 2016

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    Hi we have one of these die miss alignment Britania £2 coins…Regards Karen & Jon

  15. Babsybaby1
    17th January 2017

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    Hi. I have the Britannia coin, whilst they are both at about 12 o’clock, the queen looks right and Britannia looks left, is this correct?

  16. ChrisA
    24th January 2017

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    Hi,

    I have one of the incorrect coins, can send a picture if you like, is there still an interested market?

    Thanks

  17. Monika
    7th February 2017

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    HI I have Britannia coin 2016. do you know now which number on scale is ??
    Many thanks
    Monika

  18. Sara
    20th March 2017

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    I have one with queen up side down most at one clock and write up side down round it as well . Which was made up . Someone offer me £300 for it . I like to keep but could with some ex money to help pay me vet bills. I send e mail and pic see what you thinking

    • CYC-Admin
      20th March 2017

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      Got the email. Sell it as it doesn’t matter if it goes up or down. Money today is money today, especially if you got it for face value.

  19. Adam
    12th July 2017

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    Hi cyc,

    i have a £2 coin that is 2016 that seems to be slightly unaligned. Only slightly, not as obvious as the 2015 coins you have shown. But have you or anyone else noticed this in the 2016 coin?

  20. Louis
    19th April 2018

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    Hello mate.

    I have a coin just like this that I have got from ebay (1.78 would you believe)!
    It is not, however, the Britannia design.

    It is a 2011 Technology ‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ coin, and it aligned perfectly on both obverse and reverse.

    The two sides, however are misaligned by almost 180 degrees. Is this a known error coin or a one off? It seems the die has slipped so cannot be the only one?

    I will email you photos upon its highly anticipated arrival and will do a mirror shot once I certify it is not fake. The photos seem worthy though.

    Is a £2 struck as one piece by the way? No one seems certain of those I have asked. Thanks mate.

    Louis.

    • CYC-Admin
      3rd May 2018

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      There are a number of rotated die errors cropping up for £2 coins lately. I have one here (2015 tech reverse). The £2 coins for circulation are made using 2 pieces, which are pushed together at the same time as they are struck with the dies. Interestingly, the coins for BU packaging have both pieces pushed together first and are then struck with the dies.

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