Common: 10,000,000 or more minted.
2 Pence - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait non-magnetic (1985–1992)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1985–1992 |
| Denomination | 2 Pence |
| Face value | 2p |
| Mintage by year |
Scarcest year: 78,421 struck
|
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 7.120g |
| Diameter | 25.9mm |
| Thickness | 1.85mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Raphael Maklouf |
| Rev. artist | Christopher Ironside |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Third crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D.
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.
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Affiliatenon-magnetic 2p price history
Daily limit reachednon-magnetic 2p value by year
1985 to 1992 · median sold prices| Year | Mintage | Circulated | Uncirculated | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||||
| 1992 scarcest | 78,421 |
One row for each year the 2 Pence - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait – non-magnetic 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 1985 2 Pence - Elizabeth II – non-magnetic
The 1985 2 Pence - Elizabeth II – non-magnetic is a circulating 2 pence coin issued from 1985 to 1992, struck in bronze. 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 1985 and 1992, 1,564,499,621 coins in all. 1992 is the scarcest date, with 78,421 struck.
Common questions
How much is the 1985 2 Pence - Elizabeth II – non-magnetic worth?
No verified sale of the 1985 2 Pence - Elizabeth II – non-magnetic has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
Are 2p coins from 1985 to 1992 magnetic?
The bronze ones are not. The Royal Mint made the 2p in bronze until September 1992 and in copper-plated steel afterwards, and only the plated steel coins are attracted to a magnet. Coins dated 1985 to 1991 are all bronze.
Is there a bronze 1992 2p?
Yes, according to Tony Clayton's reference, but only in the Mint sets and Proof sets of that year. A 1992 2p taken from change should be copper-plated steel and will stick to a magnet. The Royal Mint's 1992 figure does not separate the two metals.
Which 2p from 1985 to 1991 has the lowest mintage?
In the Royal Mint's figures the lowest is 1991 at 86,625,250, followed by 1985 at 107,113,000. The highest is 1988 at 419,889,000. The seven years together total 1,564,421,200 coins, so none of these dates is scarce.
Who designed the 2p used from 1985 to 1992?
Christopher Ironside designed the reverse, the badge of the Prince of Wales with its plume of ostrich feathers and the motto ICH DIEN, used from 1971 to 2008. The obverse portrait is by Raphael Maklouf and appeared on the 2p from 1985 to 1997.
Can bronze 2p coins still be spent?
Yes. The Royal Mint lists the 2p as legal tender for amounts up to 20 pence and has not withdrawn the bronze coins. Coins dated 1985 to 1991 still circulate alongside the later copper-plated steel ones.
How do I identify the 1985 2 Pence - Elizabeth II – non-magnetic?
Check the weight 7.12g and diameter 25.9mm and the metal (bronze) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The 2p was introduced on 15 February 1971 in bronze. After 1981 no 2p was issued for circulation for three years: the Royal Mint's figures have no entry for 1982, 1983 or 1984, and coins of those dates were made for collector sets only. Circulating production resumed in 1985, the year Raphael Maklouf's portrait of the Queen replaced Arnold Machin's on the coinage.
The Royal Mint's figures give 107,113,000 for 1985, rising to 419,889,000 for 1988 and falling to 86,625,250 for 1991. The seven dates total 1,564,421,200. The Royal Mint states that rising world metal prices led to the introduction of copper-plated steel in 1992, with bronze used until September of that year (it returned once, in 1998, when the 2p was made in both alloys). Its 1992 figure of 102,247,000 is not divided by metal.
Christopher Ironside's reverse, used from 1971 to 2008, shows the badge of the Prince of Wales: a plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet above the German motto ICH DIEN, meaning I serve. TWO PENCE is written above and the figure 2 below. The wording had changed from NEW PENCE in 1982, so every circulating coin of this type reads TWO PENCE.
Maklouf's portrait shows the Queen wearing the Diamond Diadem, and it stayed on the 2p until 1997. The coin is bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc and 0.5% tin) with a plain edge.
Collecting notes
Bronze 2p coins remain legal tender and still circulate. A magnet separates this type from the one that followed: bronze is not attracted, copper-plated steel is. The Royal Mint gives the bronze coin as 1.85mm thick against 2.03mm for plated steel, at the same weight of 7.12g.
By mintage, 1991 is the lowest date and 1988 the highest. No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
The year to check is 1992. Tony Clayton's reference states that bronze coins of that date are found only in the Mint sets and Proof sets of the year, so a 1992 coin from change should be the copper-plated steel type. The Machin portrait coins of 1982 to 1984 are a set-only issue.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- UK coin mintage figures (data file), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2p Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Decimal Two Pence, Coins of the UK (Tony Clayton) (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Two pence (British decimal coin), Wikipedia (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Penny (British decimal coin), Wikipedia (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 20p Coin Designs Through the Decades, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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