2 euro Ireland 2026 U2: the first 2 euro coin dedicated to a band

On 25 September 2026, fifty years to the day after U2 was formed in Dublin, the Central Bank of Ireland issued a 2 euro commemorative coin bearing the effigies of the band's four members. It is the first time a music band has appeared on a 2 euro commemorative coin. Here is what you need to know before adding it to your collection: mintage, versions, design, and what sets it apart from Ireland's other coin of the year. The BU version in coincard is available on the product page of the 2 euro Ireland 2026 U2.

Why a 2 euro coin for U2?

The story begins in September 1976, when Larry Mullen Jr. posts a notice at his Dublin school looking for musicians. Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton answer. Fifty years later, the band has 15 studio albums, more than 175 million albums sold and 22 Grammy Awards, and remains the Irish band with the greatest international reach.

The Central Bank of Ireland chose this anniversary for its second commemorative coin of 2026. That is a first: Ireland had never issued two 2 euro commemorative coins in the same year. The first, released earlier in 2026, celebrates the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The design: the four members on a single face

Irish engraver Shaughn McGrath brought together on the national side the portraits of Adam Clayton, Bono, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. Around them appear the name U2, the mention of the 50th anniversary, the years 1976-2026 and the country's name in Irish, éire. The reverse is the common side of all 2 euro coins.

Characteristics of the 2 euro Ireland 2026 U2

• Issuing country: Ireland (Central Bank of Ireland);
• issue date: 25 September 2026;
• face value: 2 euro;
• metal: bimetallic, nickel-brass core, copper-nickel ring;
• diameter and weight: 25.75 mm, 8.5 g;
• engraver: Shaughn McGrath;
• total mintage: 155,000, of which 150,000 in BU quality and 5,000 in proof.

Two versions: BU in coincard and proof in booklet

The coin is not intended for general circulation. It exists in two official presentations.

• Brilliant uncirculated (BU) in coincard: 150,000 examples. The coin is new, uncirculated, inserted in an official card that reproduces the design of the issue and protects it. This is the version offered by Le Comptoir de l'Euro.
• Proof in booklet: 5,000 examples. Polished fields, frosted reliefs, coin in a capsule inside a booklet. The rarest version, not offered on this product page.

For a collection of 2 euro commemoratives by year, the BU coincard is the reference version: it corresponds to the main mintage and sits alongside the other 2 euro commemorative coins of 2026.

This coin's place in the Irish series

Ireland has issued 2 euro commemorative coins since 2007, the year of the joint coin for the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, but at an irregular pace and mostly with institutional themes. The U2 coin breaks with that habit: a popular subject, four contemporary faces, and a BU mintage of 150,000 that remains modest on the scale of the euro area. All of the country's issues are gathered in the category of 2 euro commemorative coins of Ireland.

The other 2026 new issues worth knowing

The U2 coin arrives in a rich year: Greece and the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Missolonghi, Belgium and astronomy, San Marino and the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. Our article New 2 euro coins for 2026 reviews them and helps you choose.

Where to find the 2 euro Ireland 2026 U2

The BU version in its official coincard is on sale on the product page of the 2 euro Ireland 2026 U2, 50 years of the band, shipped from France. The product page gives the full characteristics and answers the most frequent questions about the mintage and the versions.