Two pence (British decimal coin)
United Kingdom (UK) | |
| Value | £0.02 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 7.12 g |
| Diameter | 25.9 mm |
| Thickness | |
| Edge | Plain |
| Composition |
|
| Years of minting | 1971–present |
| Obverse | |
Royal Shield | |
| Designer | Matthew Dent |
| Design date | 2008 |
The
The two pence coin was originally minted from bronze, but changed in 1992 to copper-plated steel.
As of March 2014 there were an estimated 6.55 billion 2p coins in circulation corresponding to a value of £131 million.[2]
Two pence coins are legal tender for amounts only up to the sum of 20p when offered in repayment of a debt; however, the coin's legal tender status is not normally relevant for everyday transactions.[citation needed]
Composition
From its first minting in 1971 until 1992, two pence coins were made from bronze. In 1992, this was changed to copper-plated steel because of the increasing price of copper used to make bronze.[3] Both the bronze and steel versions were made in 1992 only.
By May 2006 the pre-1992 (97% copper) coins contained 3p worth of copper each.[4] In May 2006, about 2.55 billion such coins remained in circulation,[4] and the Royal Mint warned that tampering with coinage is illegal in the UK.[5] During 2008, the value of copper fell dramatically from these peaks.[6]
Design
Reverse
The original
In August 2005 the
The beading was removed from both sides of the coin in the 2008 re-design.
In October 2023 the King Charles III two-pence coin was presented; the coin features a red squirrel. [11][12]
Obverse
To date, five different
Four different portraits of the Queen have been used on the coin:
- As with all new decimal currency, until 1984 the portrait of 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara.
- Between 1985 and 1997 the portrait by George IV State Diadem. In 1992 the metal used in minting this coin was switched from bronze to copper-plated steel, with a single year of using both alloys in 1998.[3]
- From 1998 to 2015 the portrait by tiara, with a signature-mark IRB below the portrait.
- As of June 2015, coins bearing the portrait by Jody Clark have been seen in circulation.
Mintages
| Year | Number minted | Composition | Portrait | Reverse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1,454,856,250 | Bronze | Machin | Ironside |
| 1972 | In sets only | |||
| 1973 | In sets only | |||
| 1974 | In sets only | |||
| 1975 | 145,545,000 | |||
| 1976 | 181,379,000 | |||
| 1977 | 109,281,000 | |||
| 1978 | 189,658,000 | |||
| 1979 | 260,200,000 | |||
| 1980 | 408,527,000 | |||
| 1981 | 353,191,000 | |||
| 1982 | In sets only | |||
| 1983 | In sets only | |||
| 1984 | In sets only | |||
| 1985 | 107,113,000 | Maklouf | ||
| 1986 | 168,967,500 | |||
| 1987 | 218,100,750 | |||
| 1988 | 419,889,000 | |||
| 1989 | 359,226,000 | |||
| 1990 | 204,499,700 | |||
| 1991 | 86,625,250 | |||
| 1992 | 102,247,000 | |||
| Copper-plated steel | ||||
| 1993 | 235,674,000 | |||
| 1994 | 531,628,000 | |||
| 1995 | 124,482,000 | |||
| 1996 | 296,278,000 | |||
| 1997 | 496,116,000 | |||
| 1998 | 98,676,000 | Bronze | Rank-Broadley | |
| 115,154,000 | Copper-plated steel | |||
| 1999 | 353,816,000 | |||
| 2000 | 563,659,000 | |||
| 2001 | 551,880,000 | |||
| 2002 | 168,556,000 | |||
| 2003 | 260,225,000 | |||
| 2004 | 356,396,000 | |||
| 2005 | 280,396,000 | |||
| 2006 | 170,637,000 | |||
| 2007 | 254,500,000 | |||
| 2008 | 10,600,000 | |||
| 241,679,000 | Dent | |||
| 2009 | 150,500,500 | |||
| 2010 | 99,600,000 | |||
| 2011 | 144,300,000 | |||
| 2012 | 67,800,000 | |||
| 2013 | 40,600,000 | |||
| 2014 | 247,600,020 | |||
| 2015 | 85,900,000 | |||
| 2015 | 139,200,000 | Clark | ||
| 2016 | 185,600,000 | |||
| 2017 | 16,600,000 | |||
| 2018 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 117,700,000 | |||
| 2022 | 0 |
Mint Sets have been produced since 1982; where mintages on or after that date indicate 'none', there are examples contained within those sets.
References
- ^ Bignell, C P. "Post decimalisation". Retrieved 2006-05-23.
- ^ "Mintage Figures". Royal Mint. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ a b "2p Coin Designs and Specifications | The Royal Mint". www.royalmint.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
- ^ a b "Your small fortune: 2p coins that could be worth 3p each", Telegraph, 12 May 2006
- ^ "Mint warns against melting coins", BBC News, 12 May 2006
- ^ London Metal Exchange copper price graphs Archived 2008-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "50 New Penny Piece", Hansard, 20 December 1968
- ^ a b c Clayton, Tony. "Decimal Coins of the UK – Two Pence". Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- ^ "Royal Mint seeks new coin designs", BBC News, 17 August 2005
- ^ "Royal Mint unveils new UK coins" Archived 2008-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, 2 April 2008
- ^ BBC
- ^ The Royal Mint
- ^ a b c "1p Coin". British Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2006-05-23.
- ^ "2p Two Pence Mintage Figures". www.royalmint.com. Retrieved 2023-09-02.