2020 2p Coin
The 2020 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
- 2020
- 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 2020 2p worth?
No 2020 2p coin was issued for circulation: the Royal Mint struck that date only for its annual collector sets. A set coin that was spent can turn up in change, which is why 2020 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 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 2020 2p rare?
- It is scarcer than most 2p coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2020 2p coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- What is the 2020 2p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.
- Is the 2020 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 2020 2p coin in context
The third year in a row with no 2p struck for circulation, 2020 is another sets-only date. It carries Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen and Dent's shield section with TWO PENCE. The gap ended in 2021, when 117,700,000 coins were made for change. Expect a small premium for a clean coin still in its set.
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 2020 2p is round, 25.9 mm across and copper-plated steel.
2020 2p by the numbers
No 2020 2p coins were struck for circulation, so none were paid out by banks. For comparison, nearby circulation dates were 2017 2p (16.6 million) and 2021 2p (117.7 million).
What to check on your 2020 2p
- Confirm the date. 2020 2p coins came only from collector sets, so a genuine one is often in very good condition.
- Try a magnet: 2020 2p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2020 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
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2020 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 7.12 g |
| Diameter | 25.9 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Clark |
Mintage figures: Two pence (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.