1992 Bronze 2p Coin
The 1992 Bronze 2p 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
- 1992
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin)
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 1992 Bronze 2p worth?
No 1992 bronze 2p coin was issued for circulation: the Royal Mint struck that version only for its annual collector sets. A set coin that was spent can turn up in change, which is why the 1992 bronze coin is one collectors look for. Expect a small premium, more for coins still in the original set.
What would make yours worth more:
- Full original color
- A coin from a sets-only year
- A recognized variety or genuine error such as the 1983 NEW PENCE mule
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1992 Bronze 2p rare?
- It is scarcer than most 2p coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 1992 Bronze 2p coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- What is the 1992 Bronze 2p made of?
- Bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin). It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.
- Is the 1992 Bronze 2p still legal tender?
- Yes. The 2p is legal tender, though 1p and 2p coins together only have to be accepted for payments up to 20p.
The 1992 2p coin in context
1992 was the last year of the bronze 2p as a regular issue and the first year of the steel one. The Royal Mint changed metal during the year to save money, since bronze had become an expensive material for such a low value coin. Bronze 2p coins dated 1992 were made only for the Royal Mint's proof and uncirculated sets, so they are the final pieces of a line that began on Decimal Day in 1971. The penny changed metal in the same year.
The data lists 102,247,000 against both the bronze and the steel 1992 2p, the same figure for each. That is really the total for the steel coins struck for change, since the bronze version came only from sets. What matters for you is the magnet test. A 1992 2p that ignores a magnet is the bronze version; one that jumps to it is steel. Many people only discovered the change when they noticed that their newer coppers clung to a fridge magnet. Bronze made one more brief return in 1998, but for most purposes 1992 marks the end of the bronze era.
How to recognize it
Bronze and steel 1992 coins share the same design. The reverse is Ironside's Prince of Wales's feathers with TWO PENCE and the numeral 2. The obverse is Raphael Maklouf's portrait with ELIZABETH II D G REG F D 1992. The bronze coin is 97 percent copper with small amounts of zinc and tin, measuring 25.9 mm and weighing 7.12 g with a plain edge. By eye the two versions can look alike. Bronze tends to tone to a deeper, more even brown, while steel pieces keep a brighter coppery skin until the plating wears. Only a magnet gives a certain answer.
The other side carries Raphael Maklouf's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1985 to 1997.
1992 Bronze 2p by the numbers
No 1992 bronze 2p coins were struck for circulation, so none were paid out by banks. For comparison, nearby circulation dates were 1989 2p (359.2 million), 1990 2p (204.5 million), 1991 2p (86.6 million), 1992 Copper-Plated Steel 2p (102.2 million), 1993 2p (235.7 million), 1994 2p (531.6 million) and 1995 2p (124.5 million).
What to check on your 1992 Bronze 2p
- Confirm the date and the variety (bronze). 1992 bronze 2p coins came only from collector sets, so a genuine one is often in very good condition.
- Try a magnet: bronze 2p coins do not stick to it. A 1992 coin that sticks is the copper-plated steel version.
- 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.
A bronze 1992 2p has almost always come out of a broken set, so it is worth keeping beside a steel 1992 coin to show the change of metal. Many collectors like the pair. Bright uncirculated bronze examples can carry a small premium. Always use a magnet rather than relying on color, since toning and dirt can make a steel coin look like bronze. Store bronze coins away from damp so they do not develop green spots. Bronze coins with original red color are much harder to find than brown ones.
Copper-plated steel 2p with the feathers (1992 to 2007)
In 1992 the 2p followed the penny into copper-plated steel. Bronze had become a costly material for a coin of such low value, so the Royal Mint switched to a steel core with a copper skin. The 1992 2p exists in both metals, but the bronze version was made only for that year's Royal Mint sets; the coins struck for change were steel. The new coins kept the 25.9 mm diameter and 7.12 g weight, so machines and counting scales were not affected. The one obvious difference is that steel coins are magnetic.
The switch was not a clean break. In 1998 the 2p was struck in bronze as well as steel, giving collectors a second date to check with a magnet. That year also brought Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait, replacing Raphael Maklouf's, which had been used since 1985. Ironside's feathers and the TWO PENCE wording continued throughout. Output climbed to 536,659,000 in 2000 and to 551,880,000 in 2001, the highest 2p figures of any dates apart from 1971.
Most 2p coins of this period are steel and face value when worn. Two dates deserve a magnet test: 1992 and 1998. Steel coins also show their age in their own way, with rust spots, pink scratches where the plating is cut and flaking on badly stored pieces. Those are damage, not errors. They lower a coin's appeal. Collectors look for bright coins with full feather detail, or uncirculated examples from Royal Mint sets.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 1992 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Composition | Bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin) |
| Weight | 7.12 g |
| Diameter | 25.9 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Maklouf |
Other 1992 2p coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 Copper-Plated Steel 2p Coin | 102,247,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell if a 1992 2p is bronze?
Hold a magnet to it. A bronze 1992 2p is not attracted, while the copper-plated steel version sticks firmly. Color is not a reliable guide, because old steel coins can tone dark and bronze coins can be cleaned bright.
Is the bronze 1992 2p rare?
It is scarcer than the steel coin, because the bronze version was made only for Royal Mint sets. The 102,247,000 listed for 1992 is best read as the steel total. Expect a small premium for a clean example.
Mintage figures: Two pence (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.