Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted.
2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal 1st issue (1953)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1953 |
| Denomination | 2 Pence |
| Mintage | 1,025 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 0.940g · 0.0280 t oz |
| Diameter | 13.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Mary Gillick |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Young laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II right, legend around.
ELIZABETH II DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REGINA F: D:
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1953 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 1st issue
The 1953 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 1st issue is a collector 2 pence coin in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 0.94g and measures 13mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
1,025 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 1953 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 1st issue worth?
No verified sale of the 1953 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 1st issue has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £1.12 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How many 1953 Maundy twopences were made?
CoinVarieties, citing the Spink, Coincraft and Krause catalogues, gives a recorded mintage of 1,025 for the 1953 Maundy twopence. The coins were struck only for the recipients and officials of the Maundy service.
Why is the 1953 Maundy set harder to find than later Elizabeth II sets?
It is the only date of the reign with BRITT: OMN: in the Queen's title. Tony Clayton notes that the Maundy portrait never changed after 1953 and that the legend was the only obverse change, so the 1953 coins are a one-year type in very great demand.
Is a 1953 Maundy twopence legal tender?
Yes. Maundy money remains legal tender, and under section 2 of the Coinage Act 1971 Maundy coins issued before 15 February 1971 are treated as denominated in new pence. A 1953 twopence is therefore a 2p coin, although its collector value is far above that.
Who designed the Maundy twopence?
The obverse is Mary Gillick's portrait of the Queen. The reverse, a crowned numeral in an oak wreath, was introduced in 1822 and is credited by Wikipedia to Jean Baptiste Merlen, with the crown and the figure 2 revised by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1888.
How do I identify the 1953 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 1st issue?
Check the weight 0.94g and diameter 13mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Maundy money is the silver given by the sovereign to elderly recipients at the Royal Maundy service on the Thursday before Easter. The Royal Mint explains that the number of recipients matches the monarch's age. Tony Clayton adds that the amount each receives also equals that age, paid in a white purse of silver coins of one, two, three and four pence.
The Queen's first Maundy coins were dated 1953, her coronation year. Wikipedia records that in coronation years, while Westminster Abbey was closed for preparations, the service was held at St Paul's Cathedral, and a Stack's Bowers catalogue note quoted by CoinVarieties says the 1953 sets were handed out by the Queen there. CoinVarieties gives a recorded mintage of 1,025 for the 1953 twopence.
The designs were set by the proclamation of 25 November 1952. The obverse carries the Queen's effigy with ELIZABETH II DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REGINA F: D:, and the Royal Mint notes the portrait is the one by Mary Gillick that appeared on the first coins of the reign. The reverse is the figure 2 in the centre with the date placed across it, encircled by an oak wreath under a crown. The edge is plain.
The crowned numeral within an oak wreath dates from 1822 and is credited to Jean Baptiste Merlen. Wikipedia adds that Leonard Charles Wyon altered the crown in 1888 and reshaped the figure 2 at the same time, and that George VI refused a 1950 proposal to go back to the older 2.
Collecting notes
1953 is the only Elizabeth II Maundy date with BRITT: OMN: on the obverse. Tony Clayton notes that the Maundy portrait never changed after 1953, so the legend is the only obverse difference and the 1953 coins are in very great demand. Compare the legend with the 1954 to 1970 twopence to confirm the date.
The coin is sterling silver: Maundy money returned to .925 fineness in 1947, when silver was dropped from the circulating coins. Clayton notes that Maundy pieces struck since about 1820 seldom turn up in worse than VF condition, because they were struck only for the ceremony and never meant to circulate.
It is still legal tender. The Coinage Act 1971 treats Maundy coins issued before Decimal Day as denominated in new pence, so this piece counts as 2p.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Proclamation determining new designs for gold, silver, cupro-nickel, mixed metal and bronze coins, London Gazette issue 39703, The London Gazette (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The History of Maundy Money, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money (Royal Maundy), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Coins of the UK: Maundy Money, Tony Clayton (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1953 2 pence, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Coinage Act 1971, section 2, legislation.gov.uk (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Coins of the UK: Two Pence, Tony Clayton (read 10 Oct 2026)
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