Start with the reverse
Three designs cover every 1p since 1971. The reverse tells you which one you have in a second. The portrait on the other side narrows the date further: Arnold Machin's Queen to 1984, Raphael Maklouf's from 1985, Ian Rank-Broadley's from 1998, Jody Clark's from 2015 and Martin Jennings' King Charles III on the newest coins.
- 1971 to 1981: Christopher Ironside's crowned portcullis with chains, a Tudor badge long linked with Parliament, with NEW PENNY
- 1982 to 2008: the same portcullis, now reading ONE PENNY
- 2008 to 2022: Matthew Dent's section of the Royal Shield, with ONE PENNY in words
- 2023: a hazel dormouse, part of the King's set of British wildlife designs
Every 1p date
| Coin | Year | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 1p Coin | 1971 | 1,521,666,250 | Face value |
| 1972 1p Coin | 1972 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1973 1p Coin | 1973 | 280,196,000 | Face value |
| 1974 1p Coin | 1974 | 330,892,000 | Face value |
| 1975 1p Coin | 1975 | 221,604,000 | Face value |
| 1976 1p Coin | 1976 | 300,160,000 | Face value |
| 1977 1p Coin | 1977 | 285,430,000 | Face value |
| 1978 1p Coin | 1978 | 292,770,000 | Face value |
| 1979 1p Coin | 1979 | 459,000,000 | Face value |
| 1980 1p Coin | 1980 | 416,304,000 | Face value |
| 1981 1p Coin | 1981 | 301,800,000 | Face value |
| 1982 1p Coin | 1982 | 100,292,000 | Face value |
| 1983 1p Coin | 1983 | 243,002,000 | Face value |
| 1984 1p Coin | 1984 | 154,759,625 | Face value |
| 1985 1p Coin | 1985 | 200,605,245 | Face value |
| 1986 1p Coin | 1986 | 369,989,130 | Face value |
| 1987 1p Coin | 1987 | 499,946,000 | Face value |
| 1988 1p Coin | 1988 | 793,492,000 | Face value |
| 1989 1p Coin | 1989 | 658,142,000 | Face value |
| 1990 1p Coin | 1990 | 529,047,500 | Face value |
| 1991 1p Coin | 1991 | 206,457,600 | Face value |
| 1992 1p Coin | 1992 | 253,867,000 | Face value |
| 1993 1p Coin | 1993 | 602,590,000 | Face value |
| 1994 1p Coin | 1994 | 843,834,000 | Face value |
| 1995 1p Coin | 1995 | 303,314,000 | Face value |
| 1996 1p Coin | 1996 | 723,840,060 | Face value |
| 1997 1p Coin | 1997 | 396,874,000 | Face value |
| 1998 1p Coin | 1998 | 739,770,000 | Face value |
| 1999 1p Coin | 1999 | 891,392,000 | Face value |
| 2000 1p Coin | 2000 | 1,060,420,000 | Face value |
| 2001 1p Coin | 2001 | 928,698,000 | Face value |
| 2002 1p Coin | 2002 | 601,446,000 | Face value |
| 2003 1p Coin | 2003 | 539,436,000 | Face value |
| 2004 1p Coin | 2004 | 739,764,000 | Face value |
| 2005 1p Coin | 2005 | 536,318,000 | Face value |
| 2006 1p Coin | 2006 | 524,605,000 | Face value |
| 2007 1p Coin | 2007 | 548,002,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Old Reverse 1p Coin | 2008 | 180,600,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Shield Reverse 1p Coin | 2008 | 507,952,000 | Face value |
| 2009 1p Coin | 2009 | 556,412,800 | Face value |
| 2010 1p Coin | 2010 | 609,603,000 | Face value |
| 2011 1p Coin | 2011 | 431,004,000 | Face value |
| 2012 1p Coin | 2012 | 227,201,000 | Face value |
| 2013 1p Coin | 2013 | 260,800,000 | Face value |
| 2014 1p Coin | 2014 | 464,801,520 | Face value |
| 2015 1p Coin | 2015 | 154,600,000 | Face value |
| 2016 1p Coin | 2016 | 368,482,000 | Face value |
| 2017 1p Coin | 2017 | 240,999,600 | Face value |
| 2018 1p Coin | 2018 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 1p Coin | 2019 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2020 1p Coin | 2020 | 88,071,910 | Face value |
| 2021 1p Coin | 2021 | 56,000,000 | Face value |
| 2022 1p Coin | 2022 | 30,000,000 | Face value |
| 2023 1p Coin | 2023 | 600,000 | Small premium |
Sets only means no coins of that date were issued for circulation.
Bronze or steel: the 1992 change
For its first two decades the 1p was bronze, 20.3 mm across and 3.56 g. By the early 1990s the metal in a bronze penny was worth too much compared with the coin's face value, so in 1992 the Royal Mint switched to copper-plated steel. The size and weight stayed the same and most people never noticed.
A fridge magnet tells the two apart instantly. Steel pennies jump to it and bronze ones ignore it. The plating also wears differently: old bronze coins tone evenly to a chocolate brown, while worn steel coins can show dull gray patches where the copper skin has rubbed through. Neither metal is scarce on its own, so the magnet test is mostly a fun check rather than a hunt for value.
The years made only for sets
In three years the Royal Mint struck no pennies for circulation and the date exists only in collector sets. These are the dates that hold up a 1p date run.
- 1972: proof sets only, 150,000 made
- 2018: proof and uncirculated sets only, 33,086 made
- 2019: proof and uncirculated sets only, 44,158 made
The lowest circulation dates
The 1p was made in vast numbers for most of its life. The 1971 launch alone produced 1,521,666,250 coins and 2000 passed a billion again with 1,060,420,000. Things changed after 2017, when cash use fell and the Royal Mint already held huge stocks. The newest dates are the ones to look for.
- 2023 hazel dormouse: 600,000 for circulation, plus 256,158 in sets
- 2022: 30,000,000, the last year of the Queen
- 2021: 56,000,000
- 2020: 88,071,910
- 1982: 100,292,000, the first year with ONE PENNY
The 2008 changeover
In 2008 Matthew Dent's Royal Shield designs replaced the reverses on every coin from 1p to 50p. The 1p shows a section of the shield that joins up with the other five coins of the set. Before the switch, 180,600,000 pennies were struck with the old portcullis and the 2008 date, against 507,952,000 with the new shield. Both are common.
The 2015 portrait change also split the year, with Rank-Broadley and Clark versions of the 1p dated 2015. The Royal Mint gives 154,600,000 for the Rank-Broadley version and 418,201,016 for the Clark version, so check the portrait to tell which you have.
Is your penny worth keeping?
Almost certainly not, unless it is a sets-only date or one of the post-2019 low runs. A 1972, 2018 or 2019 penny found in change came out of a broken set and carries a small premium. A 2023 dormouse is the one modern penny worth keeping from change. Everything else is face value, even the old bronze coins. If you have a large jar, sort by reverse first, pull any dormice, then check the dates on the Clark and Jennings coins. Keep any coin you save away from damp, as copper and copper-plated coins spot easily.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK 1p coins are rare?
The sets-only dates are the ones to look for: 1972, 2018 and 2019. Among circulation coins the 2023 hazel dormouse, with 600,000 made, is by far the lowest. The 2022, with 30,000,000, is the lowest of the Queen's reign.
Why does a 1p stick to a magnet?
Pennies struck from 1992 onward are almost all copper-plated steel, which is magnetic. Earlier pennies are solid bronze and are not. The switch was made because bronze had become too costly for such a small coin.
Is the 1p still legal tender?
Yes. Pennies of every date since 1971 are legal tender, although the law limits 1p and 2p coins together to amounts of 20p in a single payment. Shops and banks will still accept them.
Is a 1971 penny rare?
No. More than 1.5 billion 1p coins were dated 1971, the largest figure for any year. It is a face value coin, though a bright uncirculated one makes a nice first-year piece for a collection.
What animal is on the new 1p?
A hazel dormouse, on coins dated 2023 with King Charles III's portrait. Only 600,000 were struck for circulation, so it is the hardest modern penny to find in change.
Mintage figures from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Australian Mint figures. Sources.