2 Pence - Charles III Red Squirrel Silver Proof (2023–2026)

About the 2023 2 Pence - Charles III Red Squirrel – Silver Proof

The 2023 2 Pence - Charles III Red Squirrel – Silver Proof is a collector 2 pence coin issued from 2023 to 2026, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 7.13g and measures 25.91mm across. Reverse design: Red Squirrel over pine cones and branches, denomination over royal cypher design at left.

Common questions

History and design

This is a collector version of the 2 Pence - Charles III Red Squirrel. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.

The Red Squirrel 2p is the definitive 2p of King Charles III. It is one of eight new designs, from the 1p to the £2, that the Royal Mint unveiled on 12 October 2023 to replace the Royal Shield designs introduced in 2008. All eight show plants and animals of the United Kingdom, a theme the Mint ties to the King's interest in conservation.

So far it is a coin of collector sets only. The Royal Mint's figures show no Red Squirrel 2p coins struck for circulation dated 2023 or 2024, and there is no later entry for the denomination. The Mint has said that the new designs enter circulation in line with demand, and its figures show little call for new 2p coins: the last circulating 2p issue was 117,700,000 dated 2021, with nothing in 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2022.

When the King's first 10p coins were released in August 2026, the Mint named the 5p, 50p, £1 and 10p as the denominations bearing his portrait that had reached circulation. The 2p was not among them.

The reverse shows a red squirrel with the inscription 2 PENCE and a large numeral, set against a repeating pattern of three interlocking C's that runs across all eight coins and refers to the cypher of Charles II. The Royal Mint says the squirrel's colouring blends with the reddish hue of the 2p. It notes that 75% of the UK population is in Scotland, with others in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight, Brownsea Island, Anglesey, Cumbria and parts of Northumberland, and that conservation work is in place to stop the species becoming extinct in the UK.

The Mint credits the reverse to its own team, which worked with the Royal Mint Advisory Committee and external artists, with support from the RSPB and the Royal Horticultural Society. The obverse carries the King's coinage portrait by Martin Jennings with the inscription CHARLES III DEI GRA REX FID DEF and the date. The coin is copper-plated steel with a plain edge.