How much is the 2013 London Underground Roundel £2 coin worth? Is it rare?

The London Underground Roundel £2 Coin: A Commemoration of Transit History

Introduction

The London Underground was designed to address the growing need for transportation in London amidst a significant surge in population during the early 19th century. It was constructed as part of the groundbreaking Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground passenger-carrying railway system.

The tunnels were originally constructed using a cut-and-cover method, involving digging a trench and roofing it over with an overhead support system. This approach gave rise to the underground nickname 'the tube,' which is still used today.

The London Underground, affectionately known as the “Tube,” is not just a transportation network—it’s a cultural icon. Since its inception in 1863, it has woven itself into the fabric of London life. The Roundel, that familiar red-and-blue disc, is synonymous with the Underground. In 2013, the Royal Mint celebrated the Tube’s 150th anniversary by minting a special £2 coin featuring this iconic logo.

In 2013, the Royal Mint released two different London Underground £2 coins – the Train design and the Roundel design. They were made to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, which began service on the 10th January 1863 and to this day serves over a billion passengers every year.

In this article, we'll look a little closer at the Roundel design.

Design and Symbolism

The Reverse

Edwina Ellis’s design captures the essence of the London Underground. The Roundel, with its bold red circle and horizontal blue bar, takes centre stage. The Roundel design features the London Underground’s logo with a linearly sketched background. This design was created by Edwina Ellis and has an edge inscription reading ‘MIND THE GAP’.

Above it, the year “1863” signifies the Underground’s birth, while “2013” below marks its 150th anniversary. The edge inscription, “MIND THE GAP,” echoes the cautionary message heard by millions of commuters daily. 

The Obverse

The obverse features the classic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley. However, what sets this coin apart is the omission of the denomination “TWO POUNDS” on the reverse.

Instead, it has been incorporated into the obverse, discreetly displayed at the bottom.

Specifications

The 2013 London Underground Roundel £2 coin was part of a series of commemorative coins issued to mark significant events.

  • Denomination: £2
  • Obverse Designer: Ian Rank-Broadley (portrait of Queen Elizabeth II)
  • Reverse Designer: Edwina Ellis (London Underground Roundel)
  • Edge Inscription: “MIND THE GAP”
  • Mintage for Circulation: 1,560,000

Mintage of the Coin

The Royal Mint's official mintage of this £2 commemorative coin is 1,560,000 

The 2013 London Underground Roundel £2 coin holds historical weight. Its mintage of 1,560,000 places it in the realm of rarer circulation coins. For context, this mintage is similar to the 2015 Magna Carta £2 coin with a mintage of 1,495,000 and the 2016 Great Fire of London £2 coin with a mintage of 1,625,000.

Other collectors' versions of the coin were minted and the figures for the Roundel design are shown below:

  • Brilliant Uncirculated version – 34,400
  • Silver Proof version – 4,374
  • Silver Proof Piedfort version – 648
  • Gold Proof version – 191

Scarcity of the coin

In 2013, three commemorative £2 coins were made available, The London Underground Roundel £2 coin, the London Underground Train £2 coin and the 2013 Anniversary of the Guinea £2 coin, along with the Technology coin which had a mintage of 15,860,250. Two commemorative 50p coins, the 2013 Christopher Ironside 50p, and the 2013 Benjamin Britten 50p were also released in this year. 

The 2013 London Underground Roundel £2 coin has a relatively low mintage but it is likely you have received one of these coins in your change.

How much is the 2013 London Underground Roundel Two Pound coin worth?

The coin, in circulating condition is worth around £4.80 without shipping, which is considerably more than face value and the values increasing.

Where can I buy the 2013 London Underground Roundel £2 Coin?

You can buy this coin by clicking here.

You can buy the circulated version of the Underground Roundel £2 coin online on auction sites such as eBay or Amazon but please ensure you look at all the information and reputation of the seller.

Unfortunately, as this coin is now over 11 years old, the Royal Mint no longer stock this coin so it is only available to buy on the secondary market.

Are there any known errors of this coin?

The Royal Mint has not confirmed any official errors for this coin so please beware of any sellers trying to inflate the selling price by claiming they have an error coin.

The writing on the side of the coin can be either one way or the other and there is an equal chance of it being either upside down or the other way, it is not an error.

Bit of trivia...

In 2007, then-Mayor Ken Livingstone proposed the renaming of four Tube stations. They were Shepherd’s Bush (on the Hammersmith & City line) to Shepherd’s Bush Market, Aldgate East to Brick Lane, Edgware Road (Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City line) to Chapel Street, and Edgware Road (Bakerloo line) to Church Street Market. As of 2020, only Shepherd’s Bush was renamed.

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Undercover coin seller

Undercover coin seller

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