Two pence (British decimal coin)
Encyclopedia
The British
decimal two pence (2p) coin
– often pronounced "two pee" – was issued by the Royal Mint
on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. In practice it had been available from banks in bags of £1 for some weeks previously. As of December 2005 there were an estimated 6,421 million 2p coins in circulation.
The coin was initially minted from bronze
, but since 1992 it has been minted in copper
-plated steel
except for a few months in 1998 when bronze was used again. As copper-plated steel is less dense than bronze, post-1992 coins have been slightly thicker. The coin weighs 7.12 gram
s and has a diameter
of 25.9 millimetre
s. The 2p coin is currently 93% mild-steel and 7% copper.
The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside
, is the Badge of the Prince of Wales
: a plume of ostrich
feather
s within a coronet
, above the German
motto
ICH DIEN ("I serve"). The numeral "2" is written below the badge, and either NEW PENCE (1971–1981) or TWO PENCE (from 1982) is written above. However, a small number of 1983 "New Pence" coins exist. These coins are rather rare, and are considered collectors' items. It was originally planned that an alternative version of the 2p would be minted with a design representing Northern Ireland. These plans never came to fruition, however.
Three different obverses have been used so far – from 1971 to 1984 the head of Queen Elizabeth II
by Arnold Machin
, from 1985 to 1997 the head by Raphael Maklouf
, and since 1998 the head by Ian Rank-Broadley
. In all cases, the inscription is ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. followed by the date.
Because of soaring metal prices in early 2006, by May of that year the pre-1992 (97% copper) coins contained 3p worth of copper each. As of May 2006, about 2,551 million such coins remained in circulation. However, The Royal Mint
warned that tampering with coinage is illegal in the UK. During 2008, the value of copper fell dramatically from these peaks.
launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins except the £2. The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from summer 2008. The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield
that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety is featured on the £1 coin. The 2p coin depicts the second quarter of the shield, showing the Lion Rampant from the Royal Banner of Scotland, with the words TWO PENCE above.
The coin's obverse remains largely unchanged, but the beading (the ring of dots around the coin's circumference), which no longer features on the coin's reverse, has also been removed from the obverse.
composition changed to copper-plated steel
New Matthew Dent Design
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
decimal two pence (2p) coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
– often pronounced "two pee" – was issued by the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. In practice it had been available from banks in bags of £1 for some weeks previously. As of December 2005 there were an estimated 6,421 million 2p coins in circulation.
The coin was initially minted from bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, but since 1992 it has been minted in copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-plated steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
except for a few months in 1998 when bronze was used again. As copper-plated steel is less dense than bronze, post-1992 coins have been slightly thicker. The coin weighs 7.12 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s and has a diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
of 25.9 millimetre
Millimetre
The millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length....
s. The 2p coin is currently 93% mild-steel and 7% copper.
The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside
Christopher Ironside
Christopher Ironside FSIA 1970, OBE 1971, FRBS 1977 was an English painter and coin designer, particularly known for the reverse sides of the new British coins issued on decimalisation in 1971....
, is the Badge of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales's feathers
The Prince of Wales's feathers is the heraldic badge of the Heir Apparent to the British and Commonwealth Realms thrones. It consists of three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the motto Ich dien...
: a plume of ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s within a coronet
Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. Unlike a crown, a coronet never has arches.The word stems from the Old French coronete, a diminutive of coronne , itself from the Latin corona .Traditionally, such headgear is – as indicated by the German equivalent...
, above the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
ICH DIEN ("I serve"). The numeral "2" is written below the badge, and either NEW PENCE (1971–1981) or TWO PENCE (from 1982) is written above. However, a small number of 1983 "New Pence" coins exist. These coins are rather rare, and are considered collectors' items. It was originally planned that an alternative version of the 2p would be minted with a design representing Northern Ireland. These plans never came to fruition, however.
Three different obverses have been used so far – from 1971 to 1984 the head of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
by Arnold Machin
Arnold Machin
Arnold Machin O.B.E, R.A. was a British artist, sculptor, coin and stamp designer.Machin was born in Stoke-on-Trent in 1911. He started work at the age of 14 as an apprentice china painter at the Minton Pottery. During the Depression he learnt to sculpt at Stoke-on-Trent's Art School, which was...
, from 1985 to 1997 the head by Raphael Maklouf
Raphael Maklouf
Raphael Maklouf is a sculptor, best known for designing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II used on the coins of many Commonwealth nations....
, and since 1998 the head by Ian Rank-Broadley
Ian Rank-Broadley
Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS is a British sculptor who has produced many acclaimed works, among which are several designs for British coinage....
. In all cases, the inscription is ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. followed by the date.
Because of soaring metal prices in early 2006, by May of that year the pre-1992 (97% copper) coins contained 3p worth of copper each. As of May 2006, about 2,551 million such coins remained in circulation. However, The Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
warned that tampering with coinage is illegal in the UK. During 2008, the value of copper fell dramatically from these peaks.
2008 redesign
In August 2005 the Royal MintRoyal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins except the £2. The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from summer 2008. The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety is featured on the £1 coin. The 2p coin depicts the second quarter of the shield, showing the Lion Rampant from the Royal Banner of Scotland, with the words TWO PENCE above.
The coin's obverse remains largely unchanged, but the beading (the ring of dots around the coin's circumference), which no longer features on the coin's reverse, has also been removed from the obverse.
Mintages
Bronze composition- 1971 ~ 1,454,856,250
- 1972-1974 ~ None (in sets only)
- 1975 ~ 145,545,001
- 1976 ~ 181,379,000
- 1977 ~ 109,281,000
- 1978 ~ 189,658,000
- 1979 ~ 260,200,000
- 1980 ~ 408,527,000
- 1981 ~ 353,191,100
- 1982-1984 ~ None (in sets only)
- 1985 ~ 107,113,000
- 1986 ~ 168,967,500
- 1987 ~ 218,100,750
- 1988 ~ 419,889,000
- 1989 ~ 359,226,000
- 1990 ~ 204,499,700
- 1991 ~ 86,625,250
composition changed to copper-plated steel
- 1992 ~ 102,247,000
- 1993 ~ 235,674,000
- 1994 ~ 531,628,000
- 1995 ~ 124,482,000
- 1996 ~ 296,278,000
- 1997 ~ 496,278,000
- 1998 ~ 213,830,000
- 1999 ~ 353,816,000
- 2000 ~ 563,643,000
- 2001 ~ 551,886,000
- 2002 ~ 168,556,000
- 2003 ~ 260,225,000
- 2004 ~ 356,396,000
- 2005 ~ 131,133,000
- 2006 ~ 170,637,000
- 2007 ~ 254,500,000
- 2008 ~ 10,600,000
New Matthew Dent Design
- 2008 ~ 241,679,000
- 2009 ~ 65,200,000
- 2010 ~ 38,000,000