Behind The Design: Great Fire Of London £2 Coin

You too can commemorate a dramatic moment in British history with the 2016 Great Fire of London £2 coin, available now in Gold, Silver Proof, Silver Proof Piedford and Brilliant Uncirculated.

Great Fire of London £2 Coins


London in 1666 was very different to the city we know today. Wooden structures rather than soaring skyscrapers made up most of the homes and businesses in the capital, one of the main reasons why a small fire, which notoriously began in a bakery in Pudding Lane, went on to rage across the city. Can you imagine the sight; people fleeing the flames, leaving everything to the fire? Aaron West, a member of The Royal Mint's design team, has taken the perspective of one of the Londoners seeking sanctuary on the Thames to capture the devastating scene.

The Royal Mint's home at the time of the fire was at the Tower of London. As one of the few secure stone buildings in the city, it became a sanctuary for the displaced and the homeless. For a time, it was also a safehold for many of the city's valuables, as people and businesses were allowed to store their assets within its walls. As the fire drew nearer, people became fearful that the Tower's stores of gunpowder would explode and so these were removed by Sir John Robinson, the Tower's Lieutenant. As the flames made steady progress through the city, action to save the building had to be taken. The goldsmith's treasures were removed from the Tower and controlled explosions were made that brought down buildings in the path of the fire, starving it of fuel and saving the Tower from the flames.

This year we join many others in remembering the fire that changed London forever, with the 350th anniversary marked on a £2 coin. Ahead of the anniversary this weekend, we caught up with Aaron West, designer of the 2016 Great Fire of London £2, to find out a little more about his design.

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