2008 Shield Reverse 1p Coin
The 2008 Shield Reverse 1p is a 1p coin struck for circulation with 508 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
- 507,952,000
- 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 Shield Reverse 1p worth?
508 million were made, so the 2008 Shield 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 Shield Reverse 1p rare?
- No. 508 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2008 Shield Reverse 1p coins were made?
- 507,952,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2008 Shield Reverse 1p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 3.56 g and measures 20.32 mm.
- Is the 2008 Shield 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
In 2005 the Royal Mint opened a public competition to redesign the reverses of the 1p to 50p, the first full overhaul since decimalization. Thousands of entries came in. The winner was Matthew Dent, a young graphic designer whose idea was to split the shield of the Royal Arms across six coins. Laid out in the right order, the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p form the complete shield, while the round pound of 2008 showed the whole shield on its own.
The new pennies reached change in 2008. The data records 507,952,000 shield pennies dated that year, close to three times the number of portcullis pennies with the same date. The shield design stayed on the penny through two portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of her reign. That makes the 2008 coin a first year type, which matters to collectors even though the date itself is very common. Plenty of people who had never collected anything set out to gather all six pieces from their change.
How to recognize it
Dent's penny shows a section of the Royal Arms shield with ONE PENNY. Each piece was planned to join up with its neighbors in the set, which means a single coin can look a little abstract on its own. There is no numeral, a choice that drew some criticism when the coins were launched. On the obverse sits Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen with the 2008 date. The coin is copper-plated steel, 20.32 mm across and 3.56 g, with a plain edge. A magnet will pick it up, as with every steel penny since 1992. Look for the denomination in the lettering rather than a big number, which can confuse people used to the older coins.
The other side carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1998 to 2015.
2008 Shield Reverse 1p by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2008 Shield Reverse 1p ranks 32nd lowest of 51 1p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2023. The next scarcer is the 1987 1p (499.9 million); the next more common is the 2006 1p (524.6 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1971 1p with 1.52 billion, about 3 times as many. The scarcest is the 2023 1p with 600,000, 847 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2008 output was about the same as 2007 and 1.1 times fewer than 2009. Other 2008 pennies: 2008 Old Reverse 1p (180.6 million).
Over the 2000s the Mint produced 6.72 billion pennies across 11 dates and varieties; the 2008 Shield Reverse 1p accounts for 7.6% of that.
What to check on your 2008 Shield Reverse 1p
- Confirm the date and the variety (shield 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.
As the first date of a new design, the 2008 shield penny is worth keeping in nice condition, but worn coins are face value. The Royal Mint also sold uncirculated sets of the new designs. A bright penny with no spots and clear shield detail is the target. It makes a good partner for the portcullis penny of the same date. Even a worn coin is fine for a first album, as long as the shield lines are still visible.
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 | 507,952,000 |
| 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 Old Reverse 1p Coin | 180,600,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2008 shield penny show?
It shows one section of the shield from the Royal Arms, designed by Matthew Dent. Put it together with the 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p from the same series and the six coins form the complete shield.
Are 2008 shield pennies rare?
No. The mintage was 507,952,000, so they are among the most common coins in British change. A worn one is worth face value. The 2008 portcullis penny, with 180,600,000 made, is the less common version of the date.
Mintage figures: Penny (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.