The bi-metallic £2 coin is the largest circulating coin denomination of the Pound Sterling. It was introduced in 1998 (earlier two pound coins were made of Nickel brass, were intended as commemorative, and did not circulate much). Being bi-metallic means that the coin comprises two separate components of differing alloys - a Nickel-Brass outer ring with inner circle of CuproNickel.

The Royal Mint maintains a "definitive" style of the £2 issued annually, as well as a large variety of one-year circulating commemorative types and some Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) £2 coins for collectors. Between 1997 and 2015, the definitive type was the Technology type £2, which was then changed to the Britannia type £2.

The one-year type coins celebrate important anniversaries or people, as well as iconic aspects of British culture and history.

This circulating commemorative £2 coin marks the 500th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mary Rose.

The Mary Rose is a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 19 July 1545. She led the attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet, but she sank in the Solent, the straits north of the Isle of Wight.

The wreck of the Mary Rose was discovered in 1971 and was raised on 11 October 1982 by the Mary Rose Trust in one of the most complex and expensive maritime salvage projects in history. The surviving section of the ship and thousands of recovered artefacts are of great value as a Tudor-era time capsule. The excavation and raising of the Mary Rose was a milestone in the field of maritime archaeology, comparable in complexity and cost to the raising of the 17th-century Swedish warship Vasa in 1961.

Experienced coinage artist John Bergdahl created a design that shows the Mary Rose in her prime, complete with the all-important banners and streamers that made Tudor vessels so beautiful and instantly recognisable. The carrack Tudor warship profile is clearly shown, with the high "castles" fore and aft, and an impressive number of heavy guns. Looking at the stern of the ship, it’s easy to see the gradually narrowing width of the decks, designed to make the ship more stable and to make boarding more difficult.

£2 coins issued in 2011 have now been in circulation for ten years.