diff --git a/lib/iris/coords.py b/lib/iris/coords.py
index 050a6cdaad..c5af246166 100644
--- a/lib/iris/coords.py
+++ b/lib/iris/coords.py
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@
 
 """
 
-from abc import ABCMeta
+from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
 from collections import namedtuple
 from collections.abc import Iterator
 import copy
+from functools import wraps
 from itertools import chain, zip_longest
 import operator
 import warnings
@@ -1282,6 +1283,7 @@ class Coord(_DimensionalMetadata):
 
     """
 
+    @abstractmethod
     def __init__(
         self,
         points,
@@ -2565,6 +2567,10 @@ class AuxCoord(Coord):
 
     """
 
+    @wraps(Coord.__init__, assigned=("__doc__",), updated=())
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
     # Logically, :class:`Coord` is an abstract class and all actual coords must
     # be members of some concrete subclass, i.e. an :class:`AuxCoord` or
     # a :class:`DimCoord`.
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_CellMethod.py b/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_CellMethod.py
index da35d76096..88906dd905 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_CellMethod.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_CellMethod.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import iris.tests as tests
 
 from iris._cube_coord_common import CFVariableMixin
-from iris.coords import CellMethod, Coord
+from iris.coords import CellMethod, AuxCoord
 
 
 class Test(tests.IrisTest):
@@ -27,38 +27,38 @@ def _check(self, token, coord, default=False):
 
     def test_coord_standard_name(self):
         token = "air_temperature"
-        coord = Coord(1, standard_name=token)
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, standard_name=token)
         self._check(token, coord)
 
     def test_coord_long_name(self):
         token = "long_name"
-        coord = Coord(1, long_name=token)
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, long_name=token)
         self._check(token, coord)
 
     def test_coord_long_name_default(self):
         token = "long name"  # includes space
-        coord = Coord(1, long_name=token)
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, long_name=token)
         self._check(token, coord, default=True)
 
     def test_coord_var_name(self):
         token = "var_name"
-        coord = Coord(1, var_name=token)
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, var_name=token)
         self._check(token, coord)
 
     def test_coord_var_name_fail(self):
         token = "var name"  # includes space
         emsg = "is not a valid NetCDF variable name"
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, emsg):
-            Coord(1, var_name=token)
+            AuxCoord(1, var_name=token)
 
     def test_coord_stash(self):
         token = "stash"
-        coord = Coord(1, attributes=dict(STASH=token))
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, attributes=dict(STASH=token))
         self._check(token, coord)
 
     def test_coord_stash_default(self):
         token = "_stash"  # includes leading underscore
-        coord = Coord(1, attributes=dict(STASH=token))
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, attributes=dict(STASH=token))
         self._check(token, coord, default=True)
 
     def test_string(self):
@@ -75,14 +75,14 @@ def test_string_default(self):
 
     def test_mixture(self):
         token = "air_temperature"
-        coord = Coord(1, standard_name=token)
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, standard_name=token)
         result = CellMethod(self.method, coords=[coord, token])
         expected = "{}: {}, {}".format(self.method, token, token)
         self.assertEqual(str(result), expected)
 
     def test_mixture_default(self):
         token = "air temperature"  # includes space
-        coord = Coord(1, long_name=token)
+        coord = AuxCoord(1, long_name=token)
         result = CellMethod(self.method, coords=[coord, token])
         expected = "{}: unknown, unknown".format(self.method, token, token)
         self.assertEqual(str(result), expected)
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_Coord.py b/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_Coord.py
index b23b6daa8c..ac8a89bcd5 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_Coord.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/unit/coords/test_Coord.py
@@ -1010,5 +1010,15 @@ def test_remove_bounds(self):
         self.assertFalse(coord.climatological)
 
 
+class Test_Coord_is_abstract(tests.IrisTest):
+    def test_instantiate_fail(self):
+        emsg = (
+            "Can't instantiate abstract class Coord with abstract"
+            " methods __init__"
+        )
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(TypeError, emsg):
+            _ = Coord(points=[0, 1])
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     tests.main()