The designs on the 2p
Christopher Ironside's reverse showed the badge of the Prince of Wales, three ostrich feathers rising through a coronet with the motto ICH DIEN, I serve. Until 1981 it read NEW PENCE. From 1982 the wording changed to TWO PENCE, matching the rest of the coins once the word NEW was dropped. Matthew Dent's section of the Royal Shield replaced the feathers in 2008. Coins of King Charles III show a red squirrel.
Like the 1p, the 2p was bronze until 1992 and copper-plated steel after that. It measures 25.9 mm and weighs 7.12 g, the same in both metals.
Every 2p date
| Coin | Year | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 2p Coin | 1971 | 1,454,856,250 | Face value |
| 1972 2p Coin | 1972 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1973 2p Coin | 1973 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1974 2p Coin | 1974 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1975 2p Coin | 1975 | 145,545,000 | Face value |
| 1976 2p Coin | 1976 | 181,379,000 | Face value |
| 1977 2p Coin | 1977 | 109,281,000 | Face value |
| 1978 2p Coin | 1978 | 189,658,000 | Face value |
| 1979 2p Coin | 1979 | 260,200,000 | Face value |
| 1980 2p Coin | 1980 | 408,527,000 | Face value |
| 1981 2p Coin | 1981 | 353,191,000 | Face value |
| 1982 2p Coin | 1982 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1983 2p Coin | 1983 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1984 2p Coin | 1984 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1985 2p Coin | 1985 | 107,113,000 | Face value |
| 1986 2p Coin | 1986 | 168,967,500 | Face value |
| 1987 2p Coin | 1987 | 218,100,750 | Face value |
| 1988 2p Coin | 1988 | 419,889,000 | Face value |
| 1989 2p Coin | 1989 | 359,226,000 | Face value |
| 1990 2p Coin | 1990 | 204,499,700 | Face value |
| 1991 2p Coin | 1991 | 86,625,250 | Face value |
| 1992 Bronze 2p Coin | 1992 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1992 Copper-Plated Steel 2p Coin | 1992 | 102,247,000 | Face value |
| 1993 2p Coin | 1993 | 235,674,000 | Face value |
| 1994 2p Coin | 1994 | 531,628,000 | Face value |
| 1995 2p Coin | 1995 | 124,482,000 | Face value |
| 1996 2p Coin | 1996 | 296,278,000 | Face value |
| 1997 2p Coin | 1997 | 496,116,000 | Face value |
| 1998 Bronze 2p Coin | 1998 | 98,676,000 | Face value |
| 1998 Copper-Plated Steel 2p Coin | 1998 | 115,154,000 | Face value |
| 1999 2p Coin | 1999 | 353,816,000 | Face value |
| 2000 2p Coin | 2000 | 536,659,000 | Face value |
| 2001 2p Coin | 2001 | 551,880,000 | Face value |
| 2002 2p Coin | 2002 | 168,556,000 | Face value |
| 2003 2p Coin | 2003 | 260,225,000 | Face value |
| 2004 2p Coin | 2004 | 356,396,000 | Face value |
| 2005 2p Coin | 2005 | 280,396,000 | Face value |
| 2006 2p Coin | 2006 | 170,637,000 | Face value |
| 2007 2p Coin | 2007 | 254,500,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Old Reverse 2p Coin | 2008 | 10,600,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Shield Reverse 2p Coin | 2008 | 241,679,000 | Face value |
| 2009 2p Coin | 2009 | 150,500,500 | Face value |
| 2010 2p Coin | 2010 | 99,600,000 | Face value |
| 2011 2p Coin | 2011 | 144,300,000 | Face value |
| 2012 2p Coin | 2012 | 67,800,000 | Face value |
| 2013 2p Coin | 2013 | 40,600,000 | Face value |
| 2014 2p Coin | 2014 | 247,600,020 | Face value |
| 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p Coin | 2015 | 85,900,000 | Face value |
| 2015 Clark Portrait 2p Coin | 2015 | 139,200,000 | Face value |
| 2016 2p Coin | 2016 | 185,600,000 | Face value |
| 2017 2p Coin | 2017 | 16,600,000 | Face value |
| 2018 2p Coin | 2018 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 2p Coin | 2019 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2020 2p Coin | 2020 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2021 2p Coin | 2021 | 117,700,000 | Face value |
Sets only means no coins of that date were issued for circulation.
The 1983 NEW PENCE mule
No 2p coins were struck for circulation in 1983. The date was made only for collector sets and it should read TWO PENCE. A small number of those coins were struck with an old NEW PENCE reverse die instead, pairing the wording of 1971 to 1981 with a 1983 obverse. That is a mule, a coin made from two dies that were never meant to go together.
The 1983 NEW PENCE 2p is one of the most famous modern British errors and collectors pay well above face value for it. To check yours, read the words above the feathers. If a 1983 coin says NEW PENCE, take it to a dealer or grading service. If it says TWO PENCE, it is a normal set coin.
1992 and 1998: bronze or steel
The 2p switched to steel in 1992. Coins struck for change that year are copper-plated steel, while bronze 1992 coins were made only for Royal Mint sets. Then in 1998 the Royal Mint struck the 2p in both metals again: 98,676,000 in bronze and 115,154,000 in steel. Both pairs are easy to separate with a magnet. Steel sticks; bronze doesn't. The 1998 pair is easy to put together from change; the bronze 1992 is a set coin, so one found loose is worth keeping.
Sets-only years and the lowest dates
Six early dates were made only for collector sets: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1982, 1983 and 1984. Any of these found in change came from a broken set and carries a small premium. No circulation figure is recorded for 2018, 2019 or 2020 either, so coins with those dates are hard to find in change.
Among dates struck for change, the lowest figures are recent ones.
- 2008 with the old feathers reverse: 10,600,000, made before the shield design took over
- 2017: 16,600,000
- 2013: 40,600,000
- 2012: 67,800,000
- 2015 Rank-Broadley portrait: 85,900,000
- 1991: 86,625,250, the lowest of the bronze years
How to sort a jar of 2p coins
Sort by reverse first. Feathers coins run from 1971 to 2008 and shield coins from 2008 to 2021 in the table below. On the feathers coins, look for the 1983 mule and for 2008, the scarcest date struck for change. Run a magnet over the 1992 and 1998 coins to split bronze from steel. On the shield coins, pick out 2017 and any 2018, 2019 or 2020 dates. Worn coins of every other date are face value, so the rest can go back into circulation or to the bank.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1983 NEW PENCE 2p?
It is a mule. The 1983 2p was made only for sets and should read TWO PENCE, but a small number were struck with an old NEW PENCE reverse. Collectors pay well above face value for genuine examples.
How can you tell a bronze 2p from a steel one?
Use a magnet. Copper-plated steel coins stick and bronze ones don't. It matters for 1992 and 1998, the two dates struck in both metals, though the bronze 1992 was made only for sets. Earlier dates are all bronze and later ones all steel.
Which 2p coins are rare?
The 1983 NEW PENCE mule is the big one. After that, the sets-only years of 1972 to 1974 and 1982 to 1984, the 2008 feathers coin with 10,600,000 made and the 2017 with 16,600,000.
Is a 1971 2p worth anything?
Usually only face value. The Royal Mint struck 1,454,856,250 2p coins dated 1971, so they are everywhere. An unworn coin with full original color is a nice first-year piece but not a rarity.
What is on the King Charles III 2p?
A red squirrel, part of the set of British wildlife and plant designs that came in with the King's portrait. The coin keeps the same size, weight and copper-plated steel as earlier 2ps.
Mintage figures from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Australian Mint figures. Sources.