How much is the 2009 Robert Burns £2 coin worth? How rare is it?

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist who is largely recognised as one of the greatest literary personalities in British history.

Burns Night is commemorated each year on his birthday, January 25th, with a traditional Haggis supper, and is more widely celebrated in Scotland than the official national day, St Andrew's Day.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the Scottish poet and songwriter, the Royal Mint issued a special two pound coin in 2009.

The reverse design of this £2 coin contains an excerpt from Robert Burns' most renowned work, Auld Lang Syne. So how much is this coin worth?

In this article we'll take a look at the design of the coin, take look at its rarity compared to other commemorative £2 coins and see how you can add one to your collection.

Design of the coin

In 1998, the United Kingdom introduced the British two pound £2 coin. This new addition to the coinage was made from two metals -  the outer ring made of nickel-brass, and the inner made from cupro-nickel.

The coin weighs 12 grams and has a diameter of 28.4mm and is 2.5 mm thick. These coins remain the same today, now with only commemorative versions and definitive Britannia versions of the coin minted each year.

The reverse of the coin displays the passage 'we'll tak a cup a' kindneys yet, for auld lang syne' from Robert Burns' poetry (later adapted as a folk song) 'Auld Lang Syne.'

The words are written in cursive and Scottish dialect to look like the actual handwriting of Burns himself. 

They are encircled with the outer bi-metal ring that read 1759 ROBERT BURNS 1796 and TWO POUNDS a little off-centre to the right on the bottom outer ring.

The milled edge inscription reads SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT.

The Fourth Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, in this iteration facing right, is depicted on the coin's obverse. From 1998 to 2015, this design was featured on the two pound coin.

Her Majesty's grandmother, Queen Mary, gave her the diamond tiara known as the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" as a wedding present in 1947.

Her image is immediately followed by the letters IRB, which stand for the initials of artist Ian Rank-Broadley.

The famous ELIZABETH II DEI GRA REG FID DEF, which translates from Latin to read Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith, is inscribed around her head and all the way around the outer circle.

Mintage of the Coin

In 2009, a total of 3,253,000 Robert Burns £2 coins were released into circulation. It is now considered to be a rare coin and has been in circulation for 13 years. It featured in the 2009 annual set along with the famous Kew Gardens 50p coin.

Another commemorative coin, the 2009 Charles Darwen £2 coin, was released in the same year which had a mintage of 3,903,000.

Scarcity of the coin

The Robert Burns £2 has a low mintage but you may have received one of these coins in your change, but it is considered to be a rare coin and becoming more scarce.

How much is the 2009 Robert Burns Two Pound coin worth?

The coin in common circulating condition is worth around £3.70 without shipping, which is considerably more than face value and the values increasing.

Where can I buy the 2009 Robert Burns £2 Coin?

We have this coin in stock now if you would like to buy from Copes Coins.

You can buy the circulated version of the Robert Burns £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 15 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...

He was also called Rabbie Burns, Ploughman Poet, the National Bard and the Bard of Ayrshire. In Scotland, he was regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and his poems are thought of as the foundation for the Romantic movement.

He wrote poems such as Ae Fond Kiss, Tam O’Shanter, and Auld Lang Syne relating to his love life and romances.

He died on July 21, 1796, at the age of just 37.