2008 Shield Reverse 2p Coin
The 2008 Shield Reverse 2p is a 2p coin struck for circulation with 241.7 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2008
- Circulation mintage
- 241,679,000
- 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 2008 Shield Reverse 2p worth?
241.7 million were made, so the 2008 Shield Reverse 2p 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 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 2008 Shield Reverse 2p rare?
- No. 241.7 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2008 Shield Reverse 2p coins were made?
- 241,679,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2008 Shield Reverse 2p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.
- Is the 2008 Shield Reverse 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 2008 2p coin in context
The 2008 shield 2p was part of the first complete change of reverse designs since decimalization. The Royal Mint ran a public competition for new reverses and chose Matthew Dent's idea of spreading the Royal Arms shield across the six coins from 1p to 50p. The round pound of the same year showed the complete shield on its own.
The data records 241,679,000 shield 2p coins dated 2008, more than twenty times the 10,600,000 feathers coins of the same year. Collectors and the public took to hunting down the six pieces. Putting the shield together from change became a popular pastime that year. The 2p design stayed in use for the rest of Elizabeth II's reign, so the 2008 coin is the first of a long run. The new designs also dropped the numerals that the regular 1p to 50p designs had always carried, which took some getting used to. People who had relied on a glance at the number now had to read the words instead. That change is still noticeable to anyone who handles both.
How to recognize it
Dent's 2p shows a section of the Royal Arms shield with the words TWO PENCE. Unlike Ironside's coins, there is no numeral, which was one of the main criticisms when the designs appeared. The obverse shows Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen in a tiara with the 2008 date. The coin is copper-plated steel, 25.9 mm across and 7.12 g with a plain edge. Look at the edges of the shield section and you can see how it was designed to line up with the neighboring coins when the full set is laid out. Like every steel 2p, it sticks to a magnet.
The other side carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1998 to 2015.
2008 Shield Reverse 2p by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2008 Shield Reverse 2p ranks 28th lowest of 45 2p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2021. The next scarcer is the 1993 2p (235.7 million); the next more common is the 2014 2p (247.6 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1971 2p with 1.45 billion, about 6 times as many. The scarcest is the 2008 Old Reverse 2p with 10.6 million, 23 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2008 output was about the same as 2007 and 1.6 times the 2009 figure. Other 2008 2p coins: 2008 Old Reverse 2p (10.6 million).
Over the 2000s the Mint produced 2.98 billion 2p coins across 11 dates and varieties; the 2008 Shield Reverse 2p accounts for 8.1% of that.
What to check on your 2008 Shield Reverse 2p
- Confirm the date and the variety (shield reverse). Most dates are common, so the date and any variety decide whether a coin is worth setting aside.
- Try a magnet: 2008 2p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2008 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 2008 shield 2p coins are face value. As the first year of a new design, uncirculated examples are popular with collectors and the Royal Mint sold the full shield in collector packs. The real prize among 2008 2p coins is the old feathers version, so check the reverse of every one. A bright shield coin is still worth keeping to sit beside it. Collectors who build the full shield from change often keep their best 2008 coins of each value together. The 2008 coins are the first year of a new design, which always draws a little extra interest. Bright examples with no spots are the ones to keep.
Royal Shield 2p (2008 to 2021)
Matthew Dent's shield designs replaced Ironside's in 2008. The 2p shows its own section of the Royal Arms shield with TWO PENCE, joining the other five coins from 1p to 50p to make the full shield when they are placed together. The old feathers design was also struck with the 2008 date, but only 10,600,000 carry it, a small fraction of the 241,679,000 shield coins of the same year.
Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait stayed until 2015, when Jody Clark's portrait arrived and both versions were struck that year. Output drifted down through the 2010s, hitting 40,600,000 in 2013 and just 16,600,000 in 2017. None were struck for circulation in 2018, 2019 or 2020. Production for change resumed with 117,700,000 coins in 2021. Under King Charles III a new 2p with a red squirrel was introduced, though it falls outside this run of Elizabeth II dates.
This is the period with the most interesting modern 2p coins. The 2008 feathers coin, the 2017 date and the 2015 Rank-Broadley version are all worth looking for, along with the years when none were made for change. Every coin here is copper-plated steel, 25.9 mm and 7.12 g with a plain edge. Most are face value. The quickest checks are the reverse on a 2008 coin and the initials under the bust on a 2015 coin.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2008 |
| Circulation mintage | 241,679,000 |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 7.12 g |
| Diameter | 25.9 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Rank-Broadley |
Other 2008 2p coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Old Reverse 2p Coin | 10,600,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2008 shield 2p show?
It shows part of the shield from the Royal Arms, designed by Matthew Dent. Place it with the 1p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p of the same series and the six coins form the complete shield.
Is the 2008 shield 2p rare?
No. The Royal Mint struck 241,679,000 dated 2008, so worn examples are face value. The scarcer coin of that year is the 2p with the old feathers design, of which only 10,600,000 were made.
Mintage figures: Two pence (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.