British two pence coin
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- This article describes the British decimal two pence coin, issued from 1971. For the pre-decimal twopence, issued between 1660 and 1798, please see the article on Maundy money.
| Two Pence (United Kingdom) | |
|---|---|
| Value: | 2 pence sterling |
| Mass: | 7.12 g |
| Diameter: | 25.9 mm |
| Thickness: | (Bronze) 1.85 mm (Steel) 2.03 mm |
| Edge: | Plain |
| Composition: | Bronze (1971–1991) Copper-plated steel (1992–) |
| Years of Minting: | 1971–present |
| Catalog Number: | — |
| Obverse | |
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| Design: | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer: | Arnold Machin (1971–1984) Raphael Maklouf (1985‑1997) Ian Rank-Broadley (1998–) |
| Design Date: | 1994 |
| Reverse | |
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| Design: | Badge of the Prince of Wales. From 1971–1981 the inscription read NEW PENCE. |
| Designer: | Christopher Ironside |
| Design Date: | 1968 |
The British decimal two pence (2p) coin – often pronounced "two pee", or sometimes "tuppence" – 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.
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 grams and has a diameter of 25.9 millimetres.
The reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, is the Badge of the Prince of Wales: a plume of ostrich feathers 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.
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 were worth 3p each. About 2,551 million such coins remain in circulation. [1]
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| Current | One penny · Two pence · Five pence · Ten pence · Twenty pence · Fifty pence · One pound · Two pounds |
| Commemorative | Twenty-five pence · Five pounds |
| Withdrawn (decimal) | Half penny |
| Withdrawn (pre-decimal) | Farthing · Halfpenny · Penny · Threepence · Sixpence · One shilling · Two shillings · Half crown · Crown · Half sovereign · Sovereign · Guinea |
