The main result of this paper is that for a commutative ring R and fin
itely generated submonoids M and N of Z(2) the monoid rings R[M] and R
[N] are isomorphic as R algebras if and only if M and N are isomorphic
. In the course of proof we derive various results concerning the stru
cture of rank 2 monoids and isomorphisms between the corresponding mon
oid rings.