Great Britain 350th Anniversary of the Royal Observatory 2025 £2 Bimetal Silver Proof Coin

Throughout its 350 years of operation, as a working observatory and a museum, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, has played a crucial role in ‘perfecting the art of navigation’ and accurate timekeeping. Commissioned by Charles II in 1675, the Royal Observatory has since solved the problem of longitude and provided the nation with a standardised time.

The reverse design on this £2 coin by Henry Gray brings together scientific instruments and objects, including the Shepherd Gate Clock and the North Star, Polaris, that have contributed to the discoveries made throughout the centuries at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, reflecting travel across land and sea. These different elements pay homage to the institution’s history and its global impact in defining our location on Earth.