2 Pound Coin William Shakespeare Skull

So, there I was, rummaging through my change jar the other day, you know, the one that's been sitting on my desk since the dawn of time, or at least since the Euro coins started flooding in. I was on a mission to find enough pennies to feed the parking meter. And then, amidst the sea of copper and silver, I spotted something unusual. It was a two-pound coin, but that wasn't what caught my eye. No, no, it was the face staring back at me from the coin's surface that made me do a double-take.

Now, I'm no stranger to the Queen's face on my coins, but this time, it was different. Instead of Her Majesty, I was looking at a rather grimacing William Shakespeare. I mean, I've seen his face on posters, in textbooks, and even on the odd mug or two, but never on a coin. I was intrigued. I mean, who isn't curious when they find something they've never seen before, right?

Enter the Shakespeare Head

It turns out, my mysterious coin is part of the Shakespeare Head series, a set of commemorative two-pound coins issued by the Royal Mint to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. I know, right? Four hundred years! That's like, what, 16 times older than I am? Mind. Blown.

Now, you might be wondering, why a skull? Well, it's not just any skull, my friend. It's the skull from Hamlet's famous 'Alas, poor Yorick' speech. You know the one, "To be, or not to be, that is the question..." Yeah, that play. So, it's a nod to the Bard's most famous work, and a pretty clever one at that.

But why the grimace?

You might have noticed that Shakespeare doesn't look too pleased on this coin. That's because the design is based on the Chandos portrait, one of the few contemporary images of Shakespeare we have. It's thought to have been painted around 1610, when Shakespeare was in his late 40s, and it shows him with a rather serious expression. I mean, he was probably thinking about all those sonnets and plays he had to write, you know?

Anyway, back to my coin. I was so fascinated by my newfound treasure that I decided to do a bit of research. I mean, who doesn't love a good mystery, right? And that's when I discovered that these coins were actually issued in 2016, which means I've had this little piece of history in my change jar for years without even knowing it!

Shakespeare Skull Coin

From Change Jar to History Lesson

So, there you have it. A two-pound coin, a Shakespeare skull, and a history lesson all wrapped up in one little anecdote. I mean, who would've thought that rummaging through my change jar would lead me on this literary adventure? Not me, that's for sure.

Now, I'm not saying you should all go digging through your change jars in the hopes of finding a Shakespeare coin. Although, if you do, let me know. I'd love to hear about it. But what I am saying is, sometimes, the most ordinary things can lead us to the most extraordinary discoveries. You just never know what you might find, right?

And as for my coin? Well, it's not going back in the change jar anytime soon. It's got a special place on my desk now, a reminder of the power of curiosity and the stories hidden in the most unexpected places. Like, you know, your change jar.