VE Day: Royal Mint releases commemorative £2 coin to mark 75th anniversary

Coins will be put into circulation if there is enough demand

The Royal Mint has released a commemorative £2 coin to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

On Friday 8 May, people across Europe will celebrate VE Day, also known as Victory in Europe Day, which commemorates the day towards the end of the Second World War when fighting against Nazi Germany came to an end.

To mark the occasion, the Royal Mint has created a new coin in association with the Imperial War Museum which “captures the spirit and stoicism of the wartime generation and the gratitude of those that followed”.

The £2 coin - featuring smiling faces and the word ”Victory“ against a backdrop of rays redolent of search lights - was designed to symbolise the first steps towards peace and recovery after the war.

“Iconic images of VE Day serve to remind us of the magnitude of events,” the coin's designer Dominique Evans said.

“Millions came together in the streets to celebrate the end of the war in Europe, inspiring me to put people at the very heart of this coin. The rays evoke search lights, a familiar sight in the skies during wartime, except here they represent rays of hope.

“VE Day is still a piece of living history. I hope the coin enables people to capture the poignancy of this landmark anniversary, one remembered by those who were there and celebrated by the generations that followed.”

The new coin and an accompanying historic set of coins used in the Second World War era are available to buy but the Royal Mint has said it will consider releasing the new coin into circulation if there is enough demand.

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said it was hoped the coins would help unite the nation amid trying times caused by the coronavirus.

“Our VE Day commemorative coin was inspired by a shared sense of community and loyalty,” she said.

The coin design was inspired by 'a shared sense of community and loyalty' (Royal Mint)

“During these challenging times that the nation finds itself in, we may be unable to join with our loved ones to mark this national milestone, but it feels especially important that we come together to protect the older generation that sacrificed so much for us.”

Imperial War Museum senior curator Stephen Walton added that it is important to reflect on the events of May 1945 as they “initiated and defined the world we live in today”.

“The costliest conflict in human history was nearing its end, and a new era of hope, optimism and social transformation was beginning,” he explained.

“Much anxiety and many challenges remained, but the determination prevailed that, out of an unprecedented global catastrophe, a better human society should emerge and there is no doubt that the relevance of this vision is as strong now as it was then.”

The VE Day coin and historic sets are available to purchase from the Royal Mint website in a range of precious metal and base proof finishes, with prices starting from £10.

A donation from each coin purchased will be made to the Imperial War Museum.

The Queen is scheduled to make a special televised address to the nation on Friday to mark the special anniversary.

The speech will take place at 9pm in the evening – the exact time her father, King George VI, made his radio address to the nation in 1945 to announce victory in Europe.

The message will be shown on broadcast on BBC One, in addition to being aired on the radio.

You can read more about the history of VE Day here.