The 2005 two pounds piece commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. Only 914 gold proof 'Gunpowder Plot' two pounds pieces were issued by the Royal Mint in 2005.Back in 1605 there was a failed assassination attempt to kill King James I. The plot was to use gunpowder to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening. It is often refered to as the Gunpowder plot.
The plot was by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby. He had many fellow plotters, but in charge of the explosives was Guy Fawkes
There was an anonymous letter sent to the authorities telling of the plan and when the House of Lords was searched on 5th November 1605 they found Guy Fawkes and 36 barrels of gunpowder - enough to flatten the entire building. The plotters who didn't escape were convicted and then subjected to horrible deaths.
Many of us still celebrate the date with gunpowder - as fireworks on Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day.Designed by Peter Forrster, the reverse depicts an arrangement of crosiers, maces and swords, surrounded by stars, with the dates '1605' and '2005' above, and the denomination 'TWO POUNDS' below.
The edge inscription reads 'REMEMBER REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER'.
Queen Elizabeth II's fourth portrait can be seen on the obverse, designed by Ian Rank-Broadley.
The two pounds piece is made of solid 22 carat gold (Gold Fineness of 0.916), and weighs 15.98 grams. It has a diameter of 28.40mm.
The outer disc is made of 'red' gold, with the inner disc being 'yellow' gold.
The coin is was originally housed in a Royal Mint acrylic screw top capsule and presented in a Royal Mint green leatherette case, accompanied with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity (COA).
Mintage: 914 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 2005 ?
Elizabeth II was in her 53rd year as Queen. George W Bush is U.S. President. Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans. Pope John Paul II dies, Benedict XVI becomes new Pope.
Elizabeth II (1952-Present)
Queen Elizabeth II is the current and longest reigning monarch ever. Born on 21 April 1926 to King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, she became Queen in 1952 and her Coronation was on 2 June 1953.Queen Elizabeth II has issued many coins and was monarch during decimalisation.
General Description: Gold 2 Pound Coins
The first gold two pound (£2) coins appeared in 1820 for George III but they were only made occasionally (intended for circulation) until 1980 when the Royal Mint started minting them yearly. There are both proof and uncirculated types in previous years but the modern trend seems to be a proof as part of a set. 
Gold £2 Coins are also know as Double Sovereigns, but as with gold five pound coins there are two variations. One is the double sovereign itself - it looks like a larger version of the sovereign of the same year and is likely to have George and the Dragon on the back. The other type is a commemorative style which tends to copy the circulation two pound design. To avoid categorisation some dealers refer to both types collectively as two pound pieces.For size comparison, the image on the right shows a modern sovereign set containing the half-sovereign, sovereign, double sovereign and £5 coin.
The specification for two pound coins
Weight is 15.98g, which is twice the weight of a standard gold sovereign. The diameter is 28.4mm and about 2mm thick. It is made from 22 Carat gold (0.916 or 91.6% gold).
Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.
Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
There is also an on-line shop at The Royal Mint Shop
.Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history. The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Gold 2 Pound Coins page on eBay UK
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