2016 Great Fire of London £2

Coin will arrive in circulated condition

About This Design
London in 1666 was very different to the city we know today. Wooden structures rather than soaring skyscrapers made up most of the homes and businesses in the capital: one of the reasons that a small fire, which notoriously began in a bakery in Pudding Lane, went on to rage across the city. Who can imagine the sight, as people fled the flames, leaving everything to the fire? Aaron West, a member of The Royal Mint’s team of graphic designers, has taken the perspective of one of the Londoners seeking sanctuary on the Thames to capture the devastating scenes of the time.

Such is the drama of 1666 that the tale of the Great Fire has been handed down, still studied at schools and brought to life in television dramas. Aaron’s dramatic design captures the stories of the moments that changed London forever.

Specifications
Issued 2016
Diameter 28.4mm
Weight 12.0g
Thickness 2.5mm
Composition Outer: Nickel-brass (76% copper, 4% nickel, 20% zinc)
Inner: Cupro-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)
Obverse Designer Jody Clark
Reverse Designer Aaron West
Edge Milled
Edge Inscription THE WHOLE CITY IN DREADFUL FLAMES
Mintage 5,135,000

Made by The Royal Mint