United Kingdom. Latest £2 Coins Mark 350 Year Old Landmark as ‘Time-Keeper of the World’

Throughout its three and a half centuries of operation as a working observatory and a museum, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich has played a crucial role in perfecting the art of navigation and accurate timekeeping. Commissioned by King Charles II in 1675, the Royal Observatory has since solved the problem of longitude and provided Great Britain – and the world with a standardised time. In the same year as its founding, the Royal Observatory became the first state-funded, purpose-built scientific institution in Britain, dedicated to improving sea navigation, cartography and timekeeping. It was Sir Christopher Wren, who sat on the Royal Commission and recommended the foundation of an observatory, ultimately suggesting the use of the ruins of Greenwich Castle as the site for the ground-breaking institution. Construction took place with remarkable speed and was funded by an impressively small budget, with the first stone of the Royal Observatory being laid by John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, in August 1675. For the next three centuries, astronomers at Greenwich observed the stars to improve navigation at sea and to define accurate time standards that became an essential part of modern travel, trade and communications.

The Royal Observatory is the historic source of the Prime Meridian of the World at 0° longitude, which serves as the divide between the eastern and western hemispheres. It was in October 1884, during an international astronomer’s conference in Washington, DC where they agreed to divide the world into 24 separate hourly time zones. The zones were based on the Greenwich meridian, the geographical reference line through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and all time zones are measured from this starting point. As the Earth rotates 15 degrees every hour, the world was divided into 24 15-degree segments, each zone one hour ahead from the next and the clocks were set accordingly in each zone and synchronised to Greenwich Mean Time.

Today, the Royal Observatory operates as a museum and visitor attraction, primarily for public education and enjoyment. It is a World Heritage site and remains the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian. Visitors can tour the original observatory, including its planetarium, and stand on the Prime Meridian line. It also features exhibitions and attractions like the Great Equatorial Telescope and the Shepherd Gate Clock.

The reverse design is the work of artist Henry Gray who brings together scientific instruments and objects, including the dial of the Shepherd Gate Clock, the constellation Ursa Minor, the North Star, Polaris and the Prime Meridian line shown on a globe that have contributed to the discoveries made throughout the centuries at the Royal Observatory reflecting travel across land and sea. These different elements pay homage to the institution’s history and its global impact in defining our location on Earth. Surrounding the primary design is the text THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH with the commemorative years 1675 and 2025 placed below along the lower rim. The obverse side bears the effigy of HM King Charles III created by British sculptor Martin Jennings. The obverse also includes the year of release 2025 and the denomination 2 POUNDS as part of the legend surrounding the King’s likeness. The coin also includes the incused lettering around the edge and reads PERFECTING THE ART OF NAVIGATION.

The BU bi-metallic base metal coins are housed in a blister-pak type folder with informative text and illustrations. The sterling silver proof and silver piedfort coins are presented in a custom black vinyl covered case and the gold proof coins are presented in a polished hardwood case – all are accompanied with a numbered certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of the Royal Mint.