Commemorative £2 coin marks 200 years of the National Gallery
A COIN to celebrate 200 years of the National Gallery has been released by the Royal Mint.
The £2 coin, designed by Edwina Ellis, has been launched to mark the gallery’s bicentenary celebrations and it portrays the gallery in its home in London’s Trafalgar Square.
Edged around the skilful numismatic depiction of the building’s famous Corinthian columns is an inscription that reads “Maiorvm Gloria Posteris Lvmen Est”, meaning “the glory of our ancestors is a light to our descendants”.
The phrase is inscribed on the ceiling in the Wilkins Building of the Gallery, conveying the notion that the great artists of the past inspire those of the future.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint said: “We are delighted to join the National Gallery in celebrating its bicentenary.
“This coin is a fitting tribute to a legacy of world-class paintings and the gallery’s unwavering dedication to preserving artistic brilliance. We hope that collectors enjoy this miniature piece of art for years to come.”
Later this spring, the coin will be included in a time capsule organised by the National Gallery as part of NG200 celebrations.
The collectable £2 coin is being made available in various versions, including gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated, to buy from the Royal Mint website. Prices start at £13.
The coin was previously released as part of the Royal Mint’s 2024 annual sets and is now available to purchase individually.
The National Gallery has one of the finest collections of European paintings in the world. Many of its paintings are of very high quality because it has paintings by famous artists whose works are very rare.
These rare paintings include works by Duccio, Masaccio, Uccello, Piero della Francesca, Leonardo, Giorgione, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Chardin, Klimt, Rousseau and Redon.
In 1823 Sir George Beaumont, a politician, landscape painter and collector offered to give his famous collection of paintings to the British Government to start a public art gallery. This prompted the Government to start the process of creating a National Gallery.