2016 2p Coin

Quick answers

Is the 2016 2p rare?

No. 185.6 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 2016 2p coins were made?

185,600,000 were struck for circulation.

What is the 2016 2p made of?

Copper-plated steel. It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.

Is the 2016 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.

How to recognize it

The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.

The 2016 2p is round, 25.9 mm across and copper-plated steel.

2016 2p by the numbers

In mintage terms the 2016 2p ranks 23rd lowest of 45 2p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2021. The next scarcer is the 1976 2p (181.4 million); the next more common is the 1978 2p (189.7 million).

For scale, the most common is the 1971 2p with 1.45 billion, about 7.8 times as many. The scarcest is the 2008 Old Reverse 2p with 10.6 million, 18 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 2016 output was 1.3 times the 2015 figure and 11 times the 2017 figure.

Over the 2010s the Mint produced 1.03 billion 2p coins across 11 dates and varieties; the 2016 2p accounts for 18% of that.

What to check on your 2016 2p

• Confirm the date. Most dates are common, so the date and any variety decide whether a coin is worth setting aside.
• Try a magnet: 2016 2p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2016 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.

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