2018 Captain Cook £2 Circulated Coin

Description

Celebrate the British spirit of adventure

In August 1768, Captain James Cook and his crew set sail on HM Bark Endeavour, commencing what would become a three-year voyage of discovery. It was the first of three such journeys for the intrepid pioneer, during which he would circumnavigate the world twice. His spirit of adventure helped to fill in the blanks on the world map and improve our knowledge of new places, peoples, plants and even other planets.

250 years later, The Royal Mint invites you to join us on a three-year adventure through history in coins. A series of three £2 coins, released each year from 2018 to 2020, will explore Captain Cook’s voyage of discovery in real time. The coins carry three intriguing designs by sculptor Gary Breeze, which combine to create a single, complete image that tells the story of Captain Cook’s voyage. And if you order all the gold or silver coins right now, you will be charged for each coin on its individual release and  your 2020 coin will be presented in an exclusive three-coin case, ready to display the collection.

250 years ago, the spirit of adventure of a determined man from a humble background greatly expanded our scientific and cultural understanding of the world. Captain James Cook’s first voyage of discovery began on 25 August 1768 when he set sail from Plymouth aboard HM Bark Endeavour. His main objective was to record people, places and plants while also improving our understanding of a world beyond our own by observing the Transit of Venus from Tahiti. But he also carried a second set of orders in a sealed envelope that was not to be opened until the observation from Tahiti had been completed.

5,000 miles from Plymouth, Captain Cook had crossed the equator, reaching Rio de Janeiro in November 1768. Now, 250 years after the first leg of his journey, The Royal Mint invites you to join us on a new three-year voyage of discovery with this unique series of three £2 coins. Together they will follow Cook’s famous voyage to Tahiti and beyond in real time. This coin features the first of a three-part ‘puzzle’ that will build to tell the story of Captain Cook’s adventure.