2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Technology, Silver Proof

This was the inaugural year of the bimetallic £2 coin's definitive circulating design, and the Royal Mint issued this silver proof ahead of the coin entering general circulation in 1998. The "Technology" reverse — conceived by Bruce Rushin — was selected after the original 1989 commemorative £2 format was deemed unsuitable for mass production; the inner and outer ring construction required entirely new striking machinery at Llantrisant.

The 1997 proof therefore predates any circulating example by a full year.