Flip one over, and you’ll see a design that’s equal parts art and symbolism. The coin features a stylised “V” for Victory—that iconic Winston Churchill gesture—with a rising sun behind it. Look closely, and you’ll spot silhouettes of a soldier, a sailor, and an airman, representing the combined forces of the Allied effort.
It’s not trying to show you tanks or explosions. Instead, the Royal Australian Mint focused on the feeling of collective resolve. The rim even carries the words “World War 2 1939-1945,” grounding it in actual dates. It’s minimalist, powerful, and refreshingly modern for a coin about the past.
The Rarity Factor (and Why You Should Check Your Spare Change)
Here’s where it gets fun for casual collectors. The Royal Australian Mint struck approximately 2.2 million of these coins in 2014 for general circulation. That sounds like a lot, but in the world of coins, it’s a limited run. For comparison, standard $2 coins are minted in the tens of millions each year.
Because of that lower mintage, finding one in your pocket change today is genuinely a small treasure hunt. Plenty of them have been pulled out by collectors or spent years in piggy banks. If you spot one, don’t spend it—it could be worth more than its face value, especially in uncirculated condition.
Fun fact: The 2014 coin isn’t even the rarest in the series. The 2012 “Remembrance Day” $2 coin has a mintage of just 500,000. But the World War 2 2 coin holds a special place because it marks the last of the wartime-themed $2 coins for a long while.
