Flying Scotsman at 100: Royal Mint introduces new coins to celebrate Doncaster loco's anniversary

The collectable £2 coins have been launched to mark the famous steam locomotive rolling out of Doncaster’s famed Plant Works and entering service 100 years ago this week.

Some versions of the coin depict the iconic loco in colour and the edge inscription on the coins reads: "Live for the journey".

Now a star attraction in the collection of the National Railway Museum in York, the locomotive was the first British steam locomotive to break the 100mph barrier and run non-stop from London to Edinburgh.

The new coins were created in collaboration with the National Railway Museum and become available on 23 February.

The Royal Mint's design team said the colouring on the coins was inspired by Flying Scotsman's LNER Locomotive Green livery, also known as Apple Green.

Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint, said: "Flying Scotsman is a wonderful example of British craftsmanship, design and engineering, which led to the creation of one of the world's most famous locomotives.

"Our craftspeople have captured the locomotive's characteristics in fine detail, with the colour edition of the coin bringing the locomotive to life."

Judith McNicol, director of the National Railway Museum, said: "Flying Scotsman's centenary is an opportunity for people to come together to celebrate and share their memories of this special locomotive.

"Featuring on the new coin is a real honour and a wonderful way to mark the occasion." she added.

Artist John Bergdahl said: “There are so many people out there with greater knowledge than me of the subject, so I was conscious of doing Flying Scotsman justice and capturing it in full detail.

"One of the challenges with creating a design for Flying Scotsman is that the locomotive has undergone many subtle changes over the years, so I had to ensure my design was accurate.

“I ultimately wanted to portray speed and movement in the design, which is why I included steam coming from the locomotive to convey the image of it travelling at great speed. There is also this romantic sentiment of the steam engine travelling through time, which is factually representative of Flying Scotsman’s 100-year journey.”