Elite: fewer than 10,000 minted.
2 Pence - George III Maundy issues (1817–1820)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1817–1820 |
| Denomination | 2 Pence |
| Mintage | 2,376 |
| 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 | Benedetto Pistrucci |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate bust of King George III right, legend around, date below.
GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA
Central crowned denomination with legend around.
BRITANNIARVM REX FID DEF
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1817 2 Pence - George III Maundy issues
The 1817 2 Pence - George III Maundy issues is a collector 2 pence coin issued from 1817 to 1820 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 0.94g and measures 13mm across. Reverse design: Central crowned denomination with legend around.
A mintage of 2,376 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1817 2 Pence - George III Maundy issues worth?
No verified sale of the 1817 2 Pence - George III Maundy issues 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.
Was the 1817 to 1820 twopence a circulating coin?
Partly. Wikipedia records circulation issues of the silver twopence in 1817, 1818 and 1820, after which it was struck only as Maundy money. CoinVarieties calls it the last twopence regularly struck for use at home.
How many were made?
CoinVarieties, citing the standard catalogues, gives 2,376 for the 1818 Maundy sets and notes that more were struck for circulation. No published figure was found for 1817 or 1820.
Who designed the George III Maundy twopence of 1817?
The laureate head is credited to Benedetto Pistrucci, who modelled George III's portraits for the 1817 coinage. The reverse keeps the long-standing crowned numeral 2, now with the legend BRITANNIARVM REX FID DEF.
Is it legal tender?
Wikipedia states that at decimalisation all Maundy pieces were deemed by law to be denominated in new pence, so in principle it is a 2p coin. In practice it is a collector's piece and is never spent.
How do I identify the 1817 2 Pence - George III Maundy issues?
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
After the wartime years in which every Maundy coin carried the date 1800, the Great Recoinage brought a fresh silver coinage. Wikipedia's Royal Maundy article explains that when the date was finally changed in 1816 the small coins were made slightly smaller, because the Mint now cut 66 shillings of coin from a troy pound of sterling silver instead of 62.
This twopence is dated 1817, 1818 and 1820. Wikipedia's twopence article records these as circulation issues, after which the silver twopence was struck only as Maundy money, and CoinVarieties calls it the last twopence regularly struck for use at home. CoinVarieties gives 2,376 for the 1818 Maundy sets, plus more for circulation.
The obverse shows a laureate head of George III facing right, with GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA and the date below. Wikipedia credits the 1817 Maundy obverse to Benedetto Pistrucci, whom the Royal Mint Museum records as modelling the King's portraits for the gold and silver coins of 1817. The reverse is the crowned numeral 2 with BRITANNIARVM REX FID DEF, replacing the earlier MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX. The Royal Mint Museum's examples of 1817 and 1820 weigh 0.96 g and 0.92 g, with plain edges.
Varieties and errors
The Royal Mint Museum's own 1820 twopence (RMM 1269) is recorded as partially double-struck. No other varieties are documented.
Collecting notes
Clayton lists full four-coin Maundy sets for all three dates. Because some of these twopences were spent, circulated examples exist alongside well-kept set coins, so grade carefully and check for cleaning and mount marks. The matching penny is the George III Maundy penny, and the next reign's coin is the George IV Maundy twopence.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Royal Maundy, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Maundy Sets, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Benedetto Pistrucci, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- History of the British penny (1714 to 1901), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Twopence (British pre-decimal coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin, Twopence, Maundy money dated 1818 (BC501), Culture Perth and Kinross, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III Maundy twopence, 1817 (RMM 1268), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III Maundy twopence, 1820 (RMM 1269), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1818 2 pence, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Twopence (Last Coinage: George III), 1818 (ABDMS017228), Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
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