2008 Old Reverse 1p Coin
The 2008 Old Reverse 1p is a 1p coin struck for circulation with 180.6 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2008
- Circulation mintage
- 180,600,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Copper-plated steel
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2008 Old Reverse 1p worth?
180.6 million were made, so the 2008 Old Reverse 1p is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins and coins still in their original Royal Mint pack.
What would make yours worth more:
- Full original red or bright color
- A coin from a sets-only year
- A recognized variety or genuine error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2008 Old Reverse 1p rare?
- No. 180.6 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2008 Old Reverse 1p coins were made?
- 180,600,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2008 Old Reverse 1p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 3.56 g and measures 20.32 mm.
- Is the 2008 Old Reverse 1p still legal tender?
- Yes. The 1p is legal tender, though 1p and 2p coins together only have to be accepted for payments up to 20p.
The 2008 1p coin in context
2008 was the last year for Christopher Ironside's crowned portcullis, which had been on every penny since 1971. The Royal Mint introduced Matthew Dent's new shield designs that year, but it also struck pennies with the old reverse. Those coins carry the 2008 date with the portcullis, making them the final pennies of a design that ran for 38 dates. Many people did not notice anything had changed until the shield coins began turning up in their pockets.
The data records 180,600,000 portcullis pennies dated 2008, against 507,952,000 with the new shield. That's roughly one old design coin for every three new ones. Because both versions came out in the same year, people often assume the old reverse must be rare. With nearly 181 million made it isn't. You have a fair chance of finding one in a jar of change. It is still the one to set aside if you are building a full run of dates and designs. The 2p of the same year is a very different story, with only 10,600,000 old design coins made.
How to recognize it
This is the familiar Ironside penny: a crowned portcullis with hanging chains, ONE PENNY above and the numeral 1 below. On the obverse is Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen wearing a tiara, the portrait used on pennies since 1998, with the 2008 date. The coin is copper-plated steel, 20.32 mm and 3.56 g with a plain edge, so it is magnetic. Set it next to a 2008 shield penny and the difference is obvious from arm's length. The new coin drops the big numeral and spreads its lettering across a section of the Royal Arms shield instead. Both share the same obverse.
The other side carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1998 to 2015.
2008 Old Reverse 1p by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2008 Old Reverse 1p ranks 8th lowest of 51 1p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2023. The next scarcer is the 1984 1p (154.8 million); the next more common is the 1985 1p (200.6 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1971 1p with 1.52 billion, about 8.4 times as many. The scarcest is the 2023 1p with 600,000, 301 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2008 output was 3 times fewer than 2007 and 3.1 times fewer than 2009. Other 2008 pennies: 2008 Shield Reverse 1p (508 million).
Over the 2000s the Mint produced 6.72 billion pennies across 11 dates and varieties; the 2008 Old Reverse 1p accounts for 2.7% of that.
What to check on your 2008 Old Reverse 1p
- Confirm the date and the variety (old reverse). Most dates are common, so the date and any variety decide whether a coin is worth setting aside.
- Try a magnet: 2008 1p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2008 coin that does not stick is worth a closer look.
- Look at the surfaces under a light. Coins from sets have unbroken luster and color; change-worn coins are dull and scuffed.
- Never clean it. Rubbing or dipping strips the original color and leaves fine scratches.
Worn 2008 portcullis pennies are face value, though collectors like to pair one with a 2008 shield penny to mark the year of change. Bright uncirculated examples can sometimes carry a small premium. If you are checking a pile of 2008 coins, the portcullis is easy to spot even at a glance. Keep the best one you find in a dry holder, because steel pennies of this age that still have full color are less common than you might expect.
Royal Shield and Charles III pennies (2008 to 2023)
In 2008 the Royal Mint replaced every Ironside reverse from 1p to 50p with designs by Matthew Dent, who won a public competition for the job. Each coin carries one section of the shield from the Royal Arms. Lay the six coins together in the right order and the whole shield appears. The penny shows its part of the shield with ONE PENNY and no numeral. Portcullis pennies were also struck with the 2008 date, so that year exists with both reverses.
Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait stayed until 2015, when Jody Clark's became the fifth portrait of the Queen on British coins. The penny remained magnetic copper-plated steel, 20.32 mm and 3.56 g. Then demand slumped. Pennies dated 2018 and 2019 were made only for collector sets. Production for change came back from 2020 to 2022 at much lower levels. Then 2023 brought a new penny with Martin Jennings's portrait of King Charles III and a hazel dormouse.
Shield pennies are everywhere, yet this period holds the most interesting modern dates. The 2008 portcullis penny, the sets-only 2018 and 2019 coins and the 2023 dormouse are the ones to look for, with the lower output of 2015 and 2020 to 2022 adding a little interest. Fewer people pay with coins than in 2008, so small mintages now leave fewer coins in change. Check the date, the reverse and the portrait on any penny from 2008 onward before it goes back in your purse.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 penny |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2008 |
| Circulation mintage | 180,600,000 |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 3.56 g |
| Diameter | 20.32 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Rank-Broadley |
Other 2008 1p coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Shield Reverse 1p Coin | 507,952,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
Is a 2008 penny with the portcullis rare?
Not really. The Royal Mint struck 180,600,000, so plenty are still around. It is less common than the 2008 shield penny, of which 507,952,000 were made. Collectors like it as the last portcullis date.
How can you tell the old and new 2008 pennies apart?
Look at the reverse. The old design shows a crowned portcullis with chains and a large numeral 1. The new design shows a section of the Royal Arms shield with ONE PENNY. Both carry the 2008 date beside the Queen's portrait.
Mintage figures: Penny (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.