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The Palestine 2 Mils 1946 KM#2 RB UNC is a bronze coin issued during the final years of British rule over Mandatory Palestine, a geopolitical entity administered by the United Kingdom from 1920 to 1948 under a League of Nations mandate. This coin holds deep historical significance, having been minted at a time when tensions were mounting in the region, and the post-World War II world was being reshaped. The 2 Mils denomination served as a critical component of the everyday currency system, facilitating low-value transactions and reflecting the trilingual, multicultural structure of the Mandate’s population.
First issued in 1927, the 2 Mils coin remained part of the currency system through the final years of the British Mandate. The Palestine pound, divided into 1,000 mils, replaced the mishmash of Ottoman, Egyptian, and British currencies in use prior to the standardized coinage. The 2 Mils coin, struck in bronze, was used for small everyday purchases such as fruits, bread, and newspapers. By 1946, it was still widely circulated and remained one of the most common denominations for daily commerce. The 1946 issue would be the penultimate year of production, with very limited issuance in 1947 and no regular coinage thereafter as the British Mandate unraveled.
The coin's obverse design is both practical and symbolic. A central hole, a hallmark of Mandate-era small bronze denominations, reduces metal usage and allows for stringing of coins, a common practice in the region. Encircling the hole are inscriptions of the word “PALESTINE” in English, Arabic (فلسطين), and Hebrew (פלשתינה), reflecting the multicultural population under British administration. Notably, the Hebrew includes the abbreviation “א״י” standing for “Eretz Yisrael” or “Land of Israel,” a point of contention that presaged the geopolitical significance of these coins. Below the names are the dates “1946” and the Hebrew year “5706,” each reinforcing the trilingual and bicultural structure of the coinage.
The reverse is similarly structured and aesthetically balanced. “2 MILS” is displayed above the central hole, flanked below by the denomination in Arabic and Hebrew. The font is bold and clear, optimized for easy reading in three scripts. The coin's smooth fields and clean design underscore its utilitarian role while still accommodating symbolic nuance. The trilingual format was meant to avoid favoring any single ethnic group, a balancing act that mirrored the precarious political situation in the Mandate. Its utilitarian style and central perforation mirror some contemporaneous designs in Asian and African coinage, reflecting British imperial standardization practices.
The 1946 2 Mils coin was struck at the Royal Mint in London, maintaining the same specifications as earlier issues. It is composed of bronze—95% copper, 4% tin, and 1% zinc—and has a diameter of 21 mm. The Royal Mint was chosen for its capacity to strike high volumes with uniform quality, and coins struck there tend to exhibit fine detail and good planchet quality. Although the official mintage for the 1946 issue is estimated at over 3.6 million pieces, high-grade examples are much less common due to extensive circulation and poor preservation of low-denomination bronze coins.
Coins surviving in RB UNC (Red-Brown Uncirculated) condition are especially desirable. The RB designation indicates that between 15% and 85% of the original red mint luster remains, with the rest of the surface toned to brown due to natural oxidation over time. In this condition, the 1946 2 Mils coin displays bright, attractive color in protected areas such as the legends and within the central hole. The strike is crisp, with no signs of flattening or weakness, and surfaces remain free of corrosion, fingerprints, or circulation marks. The coin's fields are typically satiny and show undisturbed luster when rotated under light.
As a coin approaching the end of its circulation life, the 1946 issue was minted during a time of increasing political uncertainty. Violent confrontations between Jewish and Arab communities, as well as rising anti-British sentiment, foreshadowed the end of the Mandate. Within two years of this coin’s release, the State of Israel would be declared, and the entire monetary system that supported Mandate Palestine would be dismantled. Thus, the 1946 2 Mils coin represents one of the last issues of a dying regime, making it highly symbolic and historically important for collectors of Middle Eastern and British colonial coinage.
The coin's symbolism has made it appealing to diverse collectors. Jewish numismatists often point to the inclusion of “Eretz Yisrael” in the Hebrew as an early, tangible reference to a Jewish homeland, while Arab collectors value the representation of Arabic script and regional usage. British colonial coin collectors appreciate its trilingual format and historical context within the Empire’s postwar decline. Consequently, it is one of the few coins that bridges multiple collecting categories: Judaica, British Empire, Middle Eastern history, and World War II-era transitional currency.
While circulated examples of the 2 Mils 1946 coin are relatively easy to obtain, uncirculated coins with RB designation are scarcer, and those retaining strong red luster are even more prized. Such coins are often submitted to third-party grading services like NGC or PCGS, where they typically receive high grades when showing minimal contact and full mint brilliance. Collectors especially value examples with deep red color on both obverse and reverse, as well as those that show full strike detail around the legends and central hole.
The 1946 Palestine 2 Mils coin is an ideal type coin for collectors building a complete set of Mandate Palestine coinage. Its design remained consistent from the first issue in 1927 through the final 1947 issue, making date collecting straightforward and historically meaningful. When paired with other denominations such as the 1, 5, 10, and 20 Mils coins from the same year, it forms part of a cohesive narrative chronicling the end of British colonial control and the political birth of modern Israel and the broader Palestinian question.
In conclusion, the Palestine 2 Mils 1946 KM#2 RB UNC is not just a well-preserved coin—it is a historical document struck in metal. It captures a moment of transition, political tension, and cultural intersection. With sharp detail, original red-brown luster, and trilingual inscriptions, it appeals to scholars and collectors alike. Its affordability relative to its significance makes it one of the most rewarding acquisitions for anyone interested in 20th-century coinage, Middle Eastern history, or the enduring impact of colonial monetary systems.