2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Great Fire of London, Silver Proof

The Great Fire of September 1666 burned for four days, destroying roughly 13,400 houses and 87 churches, yet killed remarkably few people by contemporary accounts — possibly as few as six confirmed deaths, though the true toll among the poor is almost certainly undercounted. Charles II personally directed firefighting efforts from horseback, partly to counter rumors that Catholics or the French had set the blaze deliberately. Parliament investigated both scapegoats extensively and found nothing.

The 2016 issue marks the 350th anniversary. Struck to .925 fineness at 12 grams — a weight class the Royal Mint used consistently for this denomination in proof silver across the commemorative run.