2019 1p Coin
The 2019 1p is a Royal Mint collector issue that was never released into circulation. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2019
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- 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 2019 1p worth?
No 2019 1p coin was issued for circulation: the Royal Mint struck that date only for its annual collector sets (44,158 reported). A set coin that was spent can turn up in change, which is why 2019 is a date collectors look for. Expect a small premium, more for coins still in the original set.
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 2019 1p rare?
- It is scarcer than most 1p coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2019 1p coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- What is the 2019 1p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 3.56 g and measures 20.32 mm.
- Is the 2019 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 2019 1p coin in context
For a second year running, pennies dated 2019 were made only for collector sets. The mint's stocks were still deep and fewer people were paying with coins, so there was no call to add more to circulation. The total for the year, across proof and uncirculated sets, is 44,158, a little higher than the 33,086 of 2018.
Together 2018 and 2019 form the only pair of back to back sets-only years in the history of the decimal penny. They sit between the 240,999,600 pennies struck for change in 2017 and the 88,071,910 of 2020, when production for circulation resumed at a far lower level than before. That gap shows how quickly demand for the smallest coin had shrunk. The 2p went further still, with no coins struck for change from 2018 through 2020. For collectors, the two years form a neat pair. A date run of decimal pennies is not complete without them and both are most easily found inside the Royal Mint's annual sets, where they sit alongside the other denominations of the year.
How to recognize it
The 2019 penny pairs Matthew Dent's shield design and ONE PENNY on the reverse with Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen, wearing the George IV State Diadem, on the obverse with the date. It shares the 20.32 mm diameter and 3.56 g weight of every steel penny since 1992, along with the plain edge and the magnetism that comes with a steel core. Proofs from the 2019 sets show mirror fields and frosty detail. Uncirculated set coins have bright, even surfaces. Neither should show the scuffs and dull patches of a coin that has rattled around in a pocket. Clark's initials sit below the neck.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2019 1p by the numbers
No 2019 1p coins were struck for circulation; the published set figure is 44,158, so none were paid out by banks. For comparison, nearby circulation dates were 2016 1p (368.5 million), 2017 1p (241 million), 2020 1p (88.1 million), 2021 1p (56 million) and 2022 1p (30 million).
What to check on your 2019 1p
- Confirm the date. 2019 1p coins came only from collector sets, so a genuine one is often in very good condition.
- Try a magnet: 2019 1p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2019 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.
With 44,158 made, the 2019 penny is a little more common than the 2018 coin but still a collector piece rather than a pocket coin. It commands a collector premium, mainly through complete sets. Collectors filling a date run usually buy it in its original packaging. A loose 2019 penny that has been spent is worth keeping, though it has lost much of the condition that makes the set coins appealing. Keep it in a dry place away from other 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 | 2019 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 3.56 g |
| Diameter | 20.32 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Clark |
Frequently asked questions
How many 2019 pennies were made?
The figure is 44,158, all in proof and uncirculated sets. None were struck for circulation, so a 2019 penny is one of the scarcest modern dates, even though it is not hard to buy as part of a complete set.
Should you keep a 2019 penny from change?
Yes. It almost certainly came from a broken set and the date is scarce. It may not carry much premium after time in circulation, but it is an unusual find and a good addition to any run of dates.
Mintage figures: Penny (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.