New £2 coin released to mark bicentenary of National Gallery

The coin held outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square

A £2 coin to celebrate 200 years of the National Gallery has been released by the Royal Mint.

Designed by Edwina Ellis, it depicts the gallery in London's Trafalgar Square.

The collectable £2 coin is being made available in various versions, including gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated.

Rebecca Morgan, from the Royal Mint, said the coin was a "fitting tribute to a legacy of world-class paintings".

The National Gallery was founded in 1824 with its first 38 paintings coming from a banker's private art collection, but over two centuries it has increased in size to hold over 2,300 works.

The coin is equally at home inside the National Gallery as outside it

It moved in 1838 to its current building where there are Corinthian columns marked with an inscription reading "Maiorvm Gloria Posteris Lvmen Est", meaning "the glory of our ancestors is a light to our descendants".

The phrase is meant to convey the notion the artists of the past inspire those of the future.

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Later this spring, the coin will be included in a time capsule organised by the National Gallery as part of its NG200 celebrations.

It was previously released as part of the Royal Mint's 2024 annual sets and is now available to purchase individually from the Royal Mint website.

Ms Morgan described the coin as "a fitting tribute to a legacy of world-class paintings and the gallery's unwavering dedication to preserving artistic brilliance".

She added: "We hope that collectors enjoy this miniature piece of art for years to come."

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