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New coin to mark 200th year of London Zoo charity

News imagePA Media A £2 gold and silver coin featuring a tiger and a dove with a Partula snail on topPA Media
The cheapest £2 coin costs £17.50

A £2 coin featuring a tiger, a snail and a dove has been minted to celebrate 200 years of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

The coin, which carries the edge inscription "restoring wildlife together", was created by the Royal Mint in collaboration with ZSL.

The coin was officially launched at ZSL's London Zoo in Regent's Park, where a giant wooden replica of the coin measuring 2m (6ft 6ins) in diameter was given to the conservation zoo's Sumatran tigers for their "roar" of approval.

The replica coin formed part of activities which stimulate an animal's natural instincts. For the tigers, this includes stalking and hunting.

Heads or tails

The reverse or "tails" design of the coin brings together three animals that the Mint said "tell a powerful story about ZSL's conservation impact" – the Sumatran tiger, the Socorro dove, and the Partula snail.

Each is depicted in fine detail, including the texture of the tiger's fur, the delicate feathers of the dove, and the ribbed surface of the snail's shell.

Bamboo grasses wind between the three creatures, in a nod to the wild habitats ZSL works to protect and restore.

News imagePA Media Tiger jumps on a carved wooden replica of the £2 coinPA Media
London Zoo's tigers were given a wooden replica to play with

Lucy Mackenzie, director of digital and product concept at the Royal Mint, said: "This coin is so much more than a commemorative piece, it's a tribute to two centuries of dedication to wildlife and our planet.

"We're proud to support ZSL, and every purchase contributes directly to its vital environmental work."

Founded in 1826 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles "for the advancement of zoological science," ZSL operates in more than 70 countries as it works to help restore natural habitats, protect threatened species and educate conservationists.

The coin is available to buy from the Royal Mint from Tuesday, with prices starting from £17.50.

Gold and silver versions of the coin are also available, with a gold coin priced at £2,505 and silver coins of different weights priced at £107.50 and £190.

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