2015 1p Coin
The 2015 1p is a 1p coin struck for circulation with 154.6 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2015
- Circulation mintage
- 154,600,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Copper-plated steel
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2015 1p worth?
154.6 million were made, so the 2015 1p is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins and coins still in their original Royal Mint pack.
What would make yours worth more:
- Full original red or bright color
- A coin from a sets-only year
- A recognized variety or genuine error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2015 1p rare?
- No. 154.6 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2015 1p coins were made?
- 154,600,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2015 1p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 3.56 g and measures 20.32 mm.
- Is the 2015 1p still legal tender?
- Yes. The 1p is legal tender, though 1p and 2p coins together only have to be accepted for payments up to 20p.
The 2015 1p coin in context
2015 brought a new face to British coins. Jody Clark, an engraver on the Royal Mint's own staff, designed the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II used on her coins, replacing Ian Rank-Broadley's version that had been in use since 1998. Because the change came during the year, 2015 coins of several denominations were made with both portraits.
The Royal Mint's figures split the 2015 penny by portrait: 154,600,000 with Rank-Broadley's portrait and 418,201,016 with Clark's. Together that is well above the 464,801,520 of 2014 and the 368,482,000 of 2016, so the date as a whole is not scarce. The Rank-Broadley version is the smaller of the two. When you find a 2015 penny, check the portrait before anything else, because the date alone doesn't tell you which version you have. Collectors who sort by portrait as well as date treat 2015 as two coins rather than one. The reverse gives no help, because Matthew Dent's shield section appears on both versions. Only the portrait side tells the story.
How to recognize it
The reverse is Matthew Dent's section of the Royal Arms shield with ONE PENNY, unchanged since 2008. The obverse is where 2015 gets interesting. Rank-Broadley's portrait shows the Queen in a tiara with his initials IRB below the bust. Clark's portrait shows her wearing the George IV State Diadem, with the initials JC below the neck. Both versions are copper-plated steel, 20.32 mm across and 3.56 g with a plain edge, so the metal and size give no clue. The initials are the quickest and most reliable check. A cheap magnifier makes them easy to read, even on a worn coin.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2015 1p by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2015 1p ranks 6th lowest of 51 1p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2023. The next scarcer is the 1982 1p (100.3 million); the next more common is the 1984 1p (154.8 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1971 1p with 1.52 billion, about 9.8 times as many. The scarcest is the 2023 1p with 600,000, 258 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2015 output was 3 times fewer than 2014 and 2.4 times fewer than 2016.
Over the 2010s the Mint produced 2.76 billion pennies across 10 dates and varieties; the 2015 1p accounts for 5.6% of that.
What to check on your 2015 1p
- Confirm the date. Most dates are common, so the date and any variety decide whether a coin is worth setting aside.
- Try a magnet: 2015 1p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2015 coin that does not stick is worth a closer look.
- Look at the surfaces under a light. Coins from sets have unbroken luster and color; change-worn coins are dull and scuffed.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or dipping strips the original color and leaves fine scratches.
Worn 2015 pennies are face value whichever portrait they carry. The Rank-Broadley version had the smaller run, but both portraits were made in large numbers and both turn up in change. Look for a bright coin with no spots and check the initials under the bust to confirm which version you have. If you find both portraits in change, keep the pair together. They tell the story of the portrait change in two small coins.
Royal Shield and Charles III pennies (2008 to 2023)
In 2008 the Royal Mint replaced every Ironside reverse from 1p to 50p with designs by Matthew Dent, who won a public competition for the job. Each coin carries one section of the shield from the Royal Arms. Lay the six coins together in the right order and the whole shield appears. The penny shows its part of the shield with ONE PENNY and no numeral. Portcullis pennies were also struck with the 2008 date, so that year exists with both reverses.
Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait stayed until 2015, when Jody Clark's became the fifth portrait of the Queen on British coins. The penny remained magnetic copper-plated steel, 20.32 mm and 3.56 g. Then demand slumped. Pennies dated 2018 and 2019 were made only for collector sets. Production for change came back from 2020 to 2022 at much lower levels. Then 2023 brought a new penny with Martin Jennings's portrait of King Charles III and a hazel dormouse.
Shield pennies are everywhere, yet this period holds the most interesting modern dates. The 2008 portcullis penny, the sets-only 2018 and 2019 coins and the 2023 dormouse are the ones to look for, with the lower output of 2015 and 2020 to 2022 adding a little interest. Fewer people pay with coins than in 2008, so small mintages now leave fewer coins in change. Check the date, the reverse and the portrait on any penny from 2008 onward before it goes back in your purse.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 penny |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2015 |
| Circulation mintage | 154,600,000 |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 3.56 g |
| Diameter | 20.32 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Clark |
Frequently asked questions
Which portrait is on my 2015 penny?
Look under the Queen's neck. IRB means Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait, used since 1998. JC means Jody Clark's portrait, the fifth of the reign, introduced in 2015. The shield reverse is identical on both, so the initials are what count.
Is the 2015 penny rare?
No. The Royal Mint gives 154,600,000 with the Rank-Broadley portrait and 418,201,016 with the Clark portrait, against 464,801,520 in 2014 and 368,482,000 in 2016. Worn coins are face value and bright ones attract only a small premium.
Mintage figures: Penny (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.