United Kingdom

2014

This commemorative £2 coin marks the centenary of the First World War (1914–1918) and features the iconic recruitment image of Lord Kitchener pointing directly at the viewer with the slogan “Your Country Needs YOU.” Originally used as a wartime poster, the image became one of the most powerful symbols of national mobilization and personal responsibility during WWI. The stark, confrontational composition breaks from traditional coin portraiture, deliberately engaging the viewer to evoke the urgency, sacrifice, and collective duty experienced at the outbreak of the war. Issued in 2014, the coin serves both as a memorial to those who served and as a reminder of the profound social and historical impact of the First World War on Britain and the world.