Royal Mint releases collectable £2 coins to celebrate Flying Scotsman centenary

Collectable £2 coins celebrating the centenary of the Flying Scotsman are being launched by the Royal Mint.

Some versions of the coin show the steam locomotive in colour and the edge inscription on the coins reads: “Live for the journey”.

The Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster in 1923 and is synonymous with the golden age of rail travel. It is now a star attraction in the collection of the National Railway Museum (part of the Science Museum Group) in York, where it is a working museum exhibit.

The 97-tonne locomotive was the first British steam locomotive to break the 100mph barrier and run non-stop from London to Edinburgh.

Working closely with the National Railway Museum, the Royal Mint’s design team based the green on several images of the locomotive over the years. They ensured the colouring that appears on the coins is inspired by Flying Scotsman’s LNER Locomotive Green livery, also known as Apple Green.

Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint said: “Flying Scotsman is a wonderful example of British craftsmanship, design and engineering, which led to the creation of one of the world’s most famous locomotives.

“While The Royal Mint’s expertise and craftsmanship is closely linked with precious metals, it was important for us to highlight the skill and engineering behind the locomotive as part of the coin’s design to mark its milestone centenary.

“Our talented team of craftspeople have captured the locomotive’s characteristics in fine detail, with the colour edition of the coin bringing the locomotive to life. It is rare for colour to feature on a £2 coin, so we anticipate this one to be extremely popular with not only railway enthusiasts but also coin collectors across the world.”

The new coins will be available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website from 23 February and have been created in collaboration with the National Railway Museum.

Prices for the new coin range from £12 for a brilliant uncirculated version and £21 for a colour version to £1,225 for a gold coin.

Judith McNicol, director of the National Railway Museum, said: “Flying Scotsman’s centenary is an opportunity for people to come together to celebrate and share their memories of this special locomotive.

“The National Railway Museum has organised a programme of events and activities to mark the centenary and featuring on the new coin is a real honour and a wonderful way to mark the occasion.”