2014 Lord Kitchener Mule Error £2 Coin

Item Description

2014 Lord Kitchener mule £2 coin with no denomination, authenticated by The Royal Mint. Obverse: 'Your country needs you' recruiting poster featuring Field Marshall Kitchener with 'THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918' around with date (2014) below. Reverse: Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with legend that reads 'ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRA · REG · FID · DEF' with no denomination mentioned. Mintage: unknown, rare. Face value: £2. Finish: circulated. Composition: bimetallic base metal alloy. Weight: 12g. Diameter: 28.40mm.

This ordinary-looking £2 coin attracted a high hammer price and considerable media attention when it was featured in our inaugural coin sale, held on 14 February 2024.

Lord Kitchener Wants You

The reverse side is inspired by the iconic First World War poster featuring Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener. The Lord Kitchener Wants You poster shows the British Secretary of State for War pointing at the viewer and has become an enduring image of the conflict, inspiring many imitations.

The inscription below Kitchener reads 'YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU’ with the date (2014) below and the words 'THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918' above.

This design was used on some 5,720,000 £2 coins, which the UK's Royal Mint released into circulation in 2014.

However, an unknown number of these coins were struck with a variant obverse design. The number that have come to market suggests that there are only a handful out there, compared to the millions of ordinary Kitchener £2s.

What Are Mule Coins?

When an unmatched obverse and reverse coin die are used together, the product is known as a 'mule coin', named for the offspring of a horse and a donkey.

In the case of the Kitchener mule £2, the 'Your Country Needs You' design was paired with the obverse design for a different coin.

The obverse design on the error coin shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley with the words 'ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRA · REG · FID · DEF' around.

What’s missing from this design is a mention of the denomination - 'TWO POUNDS' - which appears below the royal portrait on standard Kitchener coins.

It is likely that the obverse die for the Trinity House £2, also minted in 2014, was used to mint these mule coins. That £2 coin displays the denomination on the reverse, below the lighthouse, so it’s not mentioned on the obverse. 

The way modern coins are manufactured and quality-checked means that mistakes are very rare. When they do occur and enter circulation, they attract attention from serious collectors of modern coinage.

Error Confirmed By The Royal Mint

This lot had the added benefit of being sold with a letter from The Royal Mint Museum's Information and Research Manager, confirming that the wrong obverse die was used during production.

The Royal Mint Museums's enquiry service has confirmed a number of errors in this way, with such letters providing assurance to buyers who want to guarantee they are acquiring a genuine rarity.

Kitchener Mule Error In The Press

Here’s a selection of articles featuring the 2014 Lord Kitchener mule £2 we sold in February 2024:

Do YOU have a Lord Kitchener £2 'error' coin worth up to £800? | This Is Money | 3 February 2024

Rarest ever 'error' coin worth at least £1,200 – do you have the valuable £2 with crucial missing detail in your change? | The Sun | 5 February 2024

Rare £2 coin set to sell for £1,200 at auction - and you could have one in your change | The Mirror | 6 February 2024

Rare £2 coin set to sell for £1,200 as people urged to check spare change | Daily Record | 7 February 2024

Rare £2 Kitchener coin with mistake to be sold at auction | BBC News | 14 February 2024