Coin
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II UEFA Euro 1996; Gold (1996) — United Kingdom
United Kingdom • 1996 • KM#973b, Sp#K7, K7A
Overview
A gold Proof 2 Pound coin of the United Kingdom, minted in 1996 to commemorate the UEFA Euro 1996 European Football Championship. The obverse features the third crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Raphael David Maklouf. The reverse depicts a gently concave surface representing a football. Struck in .9167 gold with a limited mintage of 2,098 pieces. Struck as Proof.
Specifications
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Year
- 1996
- Composition
- Gold (.9167)
- Weight
- 15.98 g
- Diameter
- 28.4 mm
- Mint
- Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom (1968-date)
- Shape
- Round
- Technique
- Milled
- References
- KM#973b, Sp#K7, K7A
- Issuer
- United Kingdom
Design details
Obverse
Third crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
Reverse
A gently concave surface representing a football, with the date 1996 in two lines in the centre.
Collector insights
- Design heritage: Raphael David Maklouf, John Mills is credited as the designer for the Non-circulating coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
- Struck at: Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom (1968-date). Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
- Low mintage: Only 2,098 pieces reported. This puts the issue into key-date territory for its series; expect steep grade-based price scaling and a higher counterfeit risk — provenance and third-party grading matter.
- Gold issue: Gold (.9167) — bullion demand competes with numismatic demand. Weight and fineness (not just face value) drive the melt-value floor.
- Catalogue reference: Listed as
KM#973b, Sp#K7, K7A. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.
Curator Insights
Historical context
This commemorative two-pound coin was issued by the Royal Mint to mark the 10th UEFA European Football Championship, which was hosted by England in 1996. The tournament represented the first major international football event held in the country since the 1966 World Cup. The issue coincides with a period where the United Kingdom utilized the single-color gold proof format for special commemoratives prior to the 1997 shift to the bimetallic currency standard.
Design heritage
The obverse features the third definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Raphael David Maklouf, which served as the standard royal effigy from 1985 to 1997. The reverse, designed by John Mills, employs a stylized concave surface mimicking the geometry of a football, centered by the date. This abstract representation was intended to diverge from traditional heraldry in favor of a modern, thematic aesthetic appropriate for the sporting event.
Varieties and technical notes
This specific gold proof version is distinguished by its plain edge and the high-relief finish characteristic of the Royal Mint's prestige strikes at Llantrisant. Collectors should verify the presence of the frosted devices against mirrored fields, which is standard for this 2,098-mintage gold issue. While no significant die variations are recorded for this year’s gold proof, the strike quality and lack of edge lettering separate it from the base metal circulation-style counterparts.
Survival and modern availability
With a verified mintage of only 2,098 pieces, this gold proof is significantly scarcer than the cupro-nickel versions released for general circulation. Many examples have been preserved in their original Royal Mint presentation cases, maintaining their proof-state integrity over the decades. Survival rates are relatively high due to the high intrinsic gold value and collector interest in sporting history, though it remains a low-population item in professional grading tallies.
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Explore more
Browse more items in the full catalog or view United Kingdom in the country guide.