2025 350 Years of The Royal Observatory Greenwich BU £2 Coin in Capsule

Description

350 Years of The Royal Observatory, Greenwich
Commissioned by Charles II in 1674 and completed a year later, the Royal Observatory was the first purpose-built scientific institution in the United Kingdom, dedicated to timekeeping and improving sea navigation. It is home to the historic Prime Meridian of the World, 0° longitude, which denotes the division between the eastern and western hemispheres. Marking 350 years since its foundation, this UK £2 coin pays tribute to the Royal Observatory with a reverse design that features the Shepherd Gate Clock, the constellation Ursa Minor, the star Polaris and the meridian line in front of a globe. The coin also includes the edge inscription ‘PERFECTING THE ART OF NAVIGATION’, taken from the Observatory’s founding Royal Warrant.