2 New Pence - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait (1971–1981)

One row for each year the 2 New Pence - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait was struck. Prices are medians of verified sold listings matched to that year from the listing: circulated is worn condition up to Extremely Fine, uncirculated is About Uncirculated or better. A count in brackets means fewer than three sales behind the figure; a grey figure marked "type" is the median across every year, shown where that year has no sale of its own yet; years with no sales yet fill in as sales are recorded. Most types have been searched year by year only since October 2026, so later years are still filling in. Use the grade table below for a price by condition across all years.

About the 1971 2 New Pence - Elizabeth II

The 1971 2 New Pence - Elizabeth II is a circulating 2 pence coin issued from 1971 to 1981, struck in bronze (97% Cu, 2.5% Zn, 0.5% Sn). It weighs 7.12g and measures 25.9mm across. Reverse design: The badge of the Prince of Wales, a plume of three ostrich feathers enfiling a coronet of cross pattée and fleur de lis, dividing motto with legend above and denomination below.

Mintage figures are recorded for 8 years between 1971 and 1981, 3,102,637,250 coins in all. 1977 is the scarcest date, with 109,281,000 struck.

Common questions

History and design

The 2p was introduced on 15 February 1971, Decimal Day, together with the ½p and 1p. The Royal Mint Museum records that these three bronze coins, which had no exact equivalent in the old money, were not released until the day itself, although souvenir sets had been on sale since June 1968.

The coins had been stockpiled in advance at the new Royal Mint at Llantrisant. The Royal Mint's figures give 1,454,856,250 coins dated 1971, the highest of any 2p date. The Mint then lists no circulating 2p until 1975. Striking ran every year from 1975 to 1981, and the eight circulating dates total 3,102,637,250.

Christopher Ironside designed the reverse, one of the set chosen for the decimal coinage. It shows the badge of the Prince of Wales: a plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet, above the motto ICH DIEN. NEW PENCE runs above the badge and the figure 2 sits below.

The Royal Mint explains that the word NEW helped to distinguish the coins from the pre-decimal coinage. In 1982 the wording was replaced with TWO PENCE. The obverse carries Arnold Machin's portrait of the Queen. The coin is bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin) with a plain edge.

Varieties and errors

No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for the 1971 to 1981 coins. The well-known NEW PENCE error is a different coin: the Royal Mint states that in 1983 a small number of 2p pieces were mistakenly struck with the old wording and put into collector sets. That 1983 mule is the only NEW PENCE 2p that is unusual. On any coin dated 1971 to 1981 the wording is normal.

Collecting notes

These coins are still legal tender and still appear in change. All are bronze and are not attracted to a magnet; the Royal Mint moved the 2p to copper-plated steel in September 1992.

By mintage the lowest circulating date is 1977 at 109,281,000, and 1971 and 1980 are the highest. No date of the type is scarce. Before treating a NEW PENCE 2p as anything special, read the date on the obverse.