<Tr> <Th> Design date </Th> <Td> 2015 </Td> </Tr> <P> The British two pound (£ 2) coin is a denomination of the pound sterling . Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction . Three different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the current design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015 . The reverse design features Britannia . </P> <P> The coin was introduced on 15 June 1998 (coins minted 1997) after a review of the United Kingdom's coinage decided that a general - circulation £ 2 coin was needed . The new Bi-metallic coin design replaced a series of commemorative, uni-metallic coins which were issued between 1986 and 1996 to celebrate special occasions . Although legal tender, these coins have never been common in everyday circulation . </P> <P> As of March 2014 there were an estimated 417 million £ 2 coins in circulation with an estimated face value of £ 834 million . </P>

When was the first £2 coin minted