20 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Royal Shield (2008–2015)

One row for each year the 20 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait – Royal Shield 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 2008 20 Pence - Elizabeth II – Royal Shield

The 2008 20 Pence - Elizabeth II – Royal Shield is a circulating 20 pence coin issued from 2008 to 2015 in the Royal Shield series, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 5g and measures 21.4mm across. Reverse design: Lower right section of the Royal Shield, denomination to right segment of rim.

Mintage figures are recorded for 8 years between 2008 and 2015, 914,072,830 coins in all. 2015 is the scarcest date, with 63,175,000 struck.

Common questions

History and design

The 2008 redesign changed more than the reverse of the 20p. William Gardner's crowned rose reverse, used since the coin was first issued on 9 June 1982, had carried the date. Matthew Dent's Royal Shield design had no room for it, so the date moved to the obverse.

The new designs were unveiled on 2 April 2008. The Royal Mint's figures give 115,022,000 Royal Shield 20p coins dated 2008, alongside 11,900,000 of the old design. Across the eight dates to 2015 the total is 914,072,830.

The highest year is 2011 at 191,625,000. The three lowest are 2015 at 63,175,000, 2013 at 66,325,000 and 2012 at 69,650,030, and the 2015 figure excludes 131,250,000 coins with the fifth portrait.

Dent's designs were chosen from more than 4,000 entries in a public competition. Each coin from 1p to 50p shows part of the Shield of the Royal Arms, and the six together form the whole. The proclamation of February 2008 describes the 20p as a section of the Royal Arms showing elements of the second and fourth quarterings, with the words TWENTY PENCE.

The obverse has Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait with ELIZABETH II D G REG F D and the date. The coin keeps its seven-sided shape, plain edge and cupro-nickel alloy of 84% copper and 16% nickel.

Varieties and errors

The date change led to a well known error. The Royal Mint says that in November 2008 a number of 20p coins were struck with the previous obverse, which had no date, and the new reverse. It puts the number affected at fewer than 250,000 and confirms they remain legal tender. That coin has its own page: the undated 20p.

Check Your Change also reports a reverse die break on some 2008 and 2009 coins, which looks like an upside down figure 1 on the raised rim at the bottom.

Collecting notes

A normal coin of this type always shows a date beside the portrait. All eight dates were struck in the tens of millions and still circulate, and the Royal Mint states that the 20p is legal tender for amounts up to ten pounds.

Coins dated 2015 come with two portraits. The one with IRB under the bust belongs here, while Jody Clark's is the fifth portrait Royal Shield 20p.