2021 2p Coin

Quick answers

Is the 2021 2p rare?

No. 117.7 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 2021 2p coins were made?

117,700,000 were struck for circulation.

What is the 2021 2p made of?

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

Is the 2021 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

Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen in the George IV State Diadem is on the obverse with the 2021 date and his initials, JC. Matthew Dent's shield section with TWO PENCE fills the reverse. Physically it is a copper-plated steel disc of 25.9 mm and 7.12 g with a plain edge. A magnet will pick it up. Like nearly every 2p since 1992, apart from the bronze coins of 1998, it is made of steel. The design is identical to the 2017 coin, so the date is the only way to tell them apart. A 2021 coin in good condition shows crisp diadem detail and clear lettering in TWO PENCE.

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

2021 2p by the numbers

By the numbers, the 2021 2p ranks 13th lowest of 45 2p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2021. The next scarcer is the 1998 Copper-Plated Steel 2p (115.2 million); the next more common is the 1995 2p (124.5 million).

For scale, the most common is the 1971 2p with 1.45 billion, about 12 times as many. The scarcest is the 2008 Old Reverse 2p with 10.6 million, 11 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 2021 output was 7.1 times the 2017 figure.

What to check on your 2021 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: 2021 2p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2021 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.

A 2021 2p from change is face value. It is a common coin, but as the final Elizabeth II 2p date in this run it makes a natural end point for a date set. Bright examples are plentiful. Keep one in good condition along with a 2017 and a 2008 feathers coin to cover the key modern dates. Store steel coins dry to avoid rust spots. Uncirculated coins from the Royal Mint sets of the year are the neatest examples, though a bright coin from change does the job just as well.

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

Frequently asked questions