Proof Gold £2 – 350th Anniversary of The Great Fire of London 2016
Description This proof gold £2, dated 2016, marks the 350th Anniversary of The Great Fire of London. On the night of 2nd September 1666, near Pudding Lane, a fire started in a bakery owned by Thomas Farriner. Many people used fires for things such as cooking, heating and lighting, however most houses were built from wood with thatched roofs, meaning they could catch fire easily. The fire made its way through London for four days and destroyed 13,200 houses, churches and St Paul’s Cathedral, four fifths of the city was ruined. In this period, there were no proper fire engines and people had to use horse-drawn carts to deliver water to burning buildings. There was a gap, called a firebreak, when people started blowing up buildings to try and stop the fire spreading. The fire stopped when the strong winds dropped and people used gunpowder to create firebreaks. Although many homes were destroyed, not many people died and as a result, King Charles II ordered that houses were to be rebuilt from stone and brick. The reverse of the coin features the iconic skyline of London, surrounded by the uncontrollable, thick smoke. The water is scattered with riverboats, which many people relied on for safety during the fire. The design is meant to be viewed as if from one of these boats and looking back to the chaos. The obverse of the coin features Jody Clark’s portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Edge inscription reads ‘THE WHOLE CITY IN DREADFUL FLAMES’. The coin comes in a plastic capsule, along with original Royal Mint boxes, informative booklet and certificate of authenticity. These coins benefit from being Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Free and VAT free. All UK gold and silver bullion coins manufactured by the Royal Mint are legal tender and are exempt from Capital Gains Tax. All of our proof gold coins and sets are verified for authenticity by our experienced team. Any coins that fall short of our quality standards are not re-sold. As members of the [BNTA](http://www.bnta.net/) we ensure that our reputation as a reputable dealer of gold and silver coins and bars is upheld, whether a purchase is for our “best price” or brand new coins. Our range of proof £2 coins can be found [here](https://www.atsbullion.com/product-category/gold-bullion/gold-coins/proof-5-2-50p-coins/).