2 Cents - Elizabeth II Decimal Pattern (1961)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1961 |
| Denomination | 2 Cents |
| Face value | 2p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 5.830g |
| Diameter | 25.5mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Young laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, legend around
Central trident head with crown above and date below, denomination to left and right
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1961 2 Cents - Elizabeth II Decimal Pattern
The 1961 2 Cents - Elizabeth II Decimal Pattern is a collector 2 cents coin, struck in bronze. It weighs 5.83g and measures 25.5mm across. Reverse design: Central trident head with crown above and date below, denomination to left and right.
Common questions
How much is the 1961 2 Cents - Elizabeth II Decimal Pattern worth?
No verified sale of the 1961 2 Cents - Elizabeth II Decimal Pattern has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
Did Britain ever use cents?
No. The Royal Mint Museum records that the Decimal Currency Act of 1967 kept the pound and named the minor unit the new penny rather than the cent. The decimal coins that reached circulation from 1968 were all in new pence.
Is the 1961 2 cents a real British coin?
It is a pattern, not a coin that was ever issued for use. Pieces in cents could not have been legal currency, because the United Kingdom never adopted a cent. Who struck this piece has not been established from a published record.
Why would anyone make decimal patterns in 1961?
Decimalisation was then under active discussion. Wikipedia records that a 1960 report and South Africa's switch to decimal currency led the government to set up the Halsbury Committee on decimal currency in 1961. It reported in 1963.
How do I identify the 1961 2 Cents - Elizabeth II Decimal Pattern?
Check the weight 5.83g and diameter 25.5mm and the metal (bronze) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This piece belongs to a group the catalogue lists as 1961 decimal patterns, denominated in cents. They date from the years when Britain was weighing up a decimal currency. Wikipedia records that a 1960 report by the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, together with South Africa's decimalisation, led the government to set up the Halsbury Committee in 1961. It reported in 1963, and the decision to decimalise was announced on 1 March 1966.
Much of the argument was over the size of the main unit. The Royal Mint Museum explains that many retailers wanted a ten shilling unit, which would have kept the sixpence and half-crown in use as decimal coins, but the government kept the pound. The Decimal Currency Act of 1967 then specified that the minor units would be called new pence rather than cents. No British coin in cents was ever issued.
No Royal Mint record of this piece has been traced, so its maker, purpose and production figure remain unknown.
The catalogue entry describes a portrait of the Queen on one side and the denomination in cents on the other. These details, along with the metal and weight shown on the page, have not been confirmed from a published record.
Collecting notes
Treat this as a pattern, not as currency. It was never legal tender, and the decimal coins that did reach circulation from 1968 all read NEW PENCE. Coins of the UK notes that other decimal patterns, such as an aluminium quarter penny, were also made and not proceeded with.
Before buying, ask for provenance and for the catalogue reference, and compare the piece with the other values in the same 1961 group.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Decimalisation, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Decimal Day, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Decimal Coins and Decimalisation, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
