We covered the new £2 Britannia themed coin from the Royal Mint just yesterday, so have a look over there for all you need to know, but we didn’t expect the proof versions to debut until Monday as that’s when the new Queens obverse portrait debuts, and these coins will be the first to carry it. However, they’ve appeared already so have a look at the three versions of this excellent design below, because they’ve never looked better.

There’s a ½oz 22-carat gold version with a 1,000 mintage limit, along with two gilded silver versions, one at 12g in weight and the other at twice that because it’s a double-thickness Piedfort coin. The latter is the most interesting because at just 2,000 pieces (was 1,000 but the Royal Mint have just corrected it), it’s far rarer than the standard coin. While hardly a bargain at £100 for a gilded 24g silver coin, it’s tight mintage and carrying of the new effigy of Queen Elizabeth II has potential written all over it.

Whatever version you choose, they look superb and coming off the back of the smash-hit 2014 proof Britania range, we think these will be hugely popular. The gold is composed of yellow gold in the centre and red gold on the outer rim to replicate the bi-metallic look of the circulating version. Both golds are the same purity with the red gold being alloyed with copper instead of silver (usually), hence the different shades.

We’ll post up better images on Monday, so come back to this article then for another look, but all three coins are available for pre-order from the image-link below the specification table at the foot of this article. Plus buying from that will give AgAuNEWS a little at no cost to yourselves and be much appreciated. What do I think of the coin? Despite tight funds at the moment, I bought a pair of Piedfort coins and that’s my tip for the pick of the litter, despite the recent mintage doubling.

As is usual for the Royal Mint these days, the gold coin comes in a very nice glossy wood box, and the silver in a black coin box. Both are good quality items as you’d expect.