A coin added in 1982
Decimal coins arrived in 1971 with nothing between 10p and 50p. Inflation through the 1970s meant people carried handfuls of 10p coins, so a 20p entered circulation on 9 June 1982. It took the seven-sided shape of the 50p, with curved sides of equal width so it rolls and works in machines like a round coin. It is 21.4 mm across and weighs 5 g, struck in cupronickel with a plain edge.
Because 1982 was also the year British coins dropped the word NEW, the 20p never carried NEW PENCE. The launch run of 740,815,000 is still the largest of any year.
Every 20p date
| Coin | Year | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 20p Coin | 1982 | 740,815,000 | Face value |
| 1983 20p Coin | 1983 | 158,463,000 | Face value |
| 1984 20p Coin | 1984 | 65,350,965 | Face value |
| 1985 20p Coin | 1985 | 74,273,699 | Face value |
| 1986 20p Coin | 1986 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 1987 20p Coin | 1987 | 137,450,000 | Face value |
| 1988 20p Coin | 1988 | 38,038,344 | Face value |
| 1989 20p Coin | 1989 | 132,013,890 | Face value |
| 1990 20p Coin | 1990 | 88,097,500 | Face value |
| 1991 20p Coin | 1991 | 35,901,250 | Face value |
| 1992 20p Coin | 1992 | 31,205,000 | Face value |
| 1993 20p Coin | 1993 | 123,123,750 | Face value |
| 1994 20p Coin | 1994 | 67,131,250 | Face value |
| 1995 20p Coin | 1995 | 102,005,000 | Face value |
| 1996 20p Coin | 1996 | 83,163,750 | Face value |
| 1997 20p Coin | 1997 | 89,518,750 | Face value |
| 1998 20p Coin | 1998 | 76,965,000 | Face value |
| 1999 20p Coin | 1999 | 73,478,750 | Face value |
| 2000 20p Coin | 2000 | 136,428,750 | Face value |
| 2001 20p Coin | 2001 | 148,122,500 | Face value |
| 2002 20p Coin | 2002 | 93,360,000 | Face value |
| 2003 20p Coin | 2003 | 153,383,750 | Face value |
| 2004 20p Coin | 2004 | 120,212,500 | Face value |
| 2005 20p Coin | 2005 | 124,488,750 | Face value |
| 2006 20p Coin | 2006 | 114,800,000 | Face value |
| 2007 20p Coin | 2007 | 117,075,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Old Reverse 20p Coin | 2008 | 11,900,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Shield Reverse 20p Coin | 2008 | 115,022,000 | Face value |
| 2009 20p Coin | 2009 | 121,625,300 | Face value |
| 2010 20p Coin | 2010 | 112,875,500 | Face value |
| 2011 20p Coin | 2011 | 191,625,000 | Face value |
| 2012 20p Coin | 2012 | 69,650,030 | Face value |
| 2013 20p Coin | 2013 | 66,325,000 | Face value |
| 2014 20p Coin | 2014 | 173,775,000 | Face value |
| 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 20p Coin | 2015 | 63,175,000 | Face value |
| 2015 Clark Portrait 20p Coin | 2015 | 131,250,000 | Face value |
| 2016 20p Coin | 2016 | 212,625,000 | Face value |
| 2017 20p Coin | 2017 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2018 20p Coin | 2018 | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 20p Coin | 2019 | 125,125,000 | Face value |
| 2020 20p Coin | 2020 | 32,725,000 | Face value |
| 2021 20p Coin | 2021 | 19,600,000 | Face value |
| 2022 20p Coin | 2022 | 42,875,000 | Face value |
| 2023 20p Coin | 2023 | 525,000 | Small premium |
Sets only means no coins of that date were issued for circulation.
Three designs and five portraits
The reverse tells you the era at a glance. The portrait narrows it down.
- 1982 to 2008: William Gardner's crowned double rose, with the date on the reverse
- 1982 to 1984 Arnold Machin, 1985 to 1997 Raphael Maklouf, 1998 to 2015 Ian Rank-Broadley
- 2008 to 2022: Matthew Dent's section of the Royal Shield, with the date moved to the portrait side
- 2015 to 2022: Jody Clark's portrait, with 2015 struck in both Rank-Broadley and Clark versions
- 2023: Martin Jennings' portrait of King Charles III with an Atlantic puffin
The undated 2008 20p
When the shield design arrived in 2008, the date had to move from the reverse to the obverse. Some coins were struck with the new shield reverse and the old dateless obverse, so neither side carries a year. The error came to light in 2009 and the Royal Mint estimated that between 50,000 and 200,000 had been released into circulation. It was widely reported as the first undated British coin in more than three hundred years.
Checking is simple. Look at any shield 20p and find the date beside the Queen's portrait. If there isn't one anywhere on the coin, you have the mule. It carries a collector premium even in worn condition and is the one modern 20p genuinely worth searching for.
Sets-only years: 1986, 2017 and 2018
In three years the Royal Mint struck no 20ps for circulation because it already held plenty. In 1986 the launch years had produced more than a billion coins. In 2017 and 2018 the huge runs of 2015 and 2016, 212,625,000 in 2016 alone, had left banks well stocked while card payments grew. Those dates were made only for collector sets, so a loose one in your change came from a broken set and draws a small premium.
The lowest mintage dates
Leaving aside the sets-only years and the mule, these are the 20ps struck for change in the smallest numbers.
- 2023 puffin: 525,000, by far the lowest
- 2008 with the crowned rose: 11,900,000, made early in the year before the shield took over
- 2021: 19,600,000, the lowest full year of the Queen's reign
- 1992: 31,205,000
- 2020: 32,725,000
- 1991: 35,901,250 and 1988: 38,038,344
What to keep from change
Keep any 2023 puffin coin, any undated shield coin and any 1986, 2017 or 2018. Put aside a sharp 2008 rose coin and a 2021 as well. The two 2015 portraits make a good pair. Everything else is face value in worn condition, though bright uncirculated coins from sets are always more appealing to collectors than spent ones.
Frequently asked questions
Which 20p coins are rare?
The undated 2008 mule is the best known, with an estimated 50,000 to 200,000 released. The 2023 puffin coin had only 525,000 made. The sets-only years 1986, 2017 and 2018 are also hard to find in change.
How can you tell if you have the undated 20p?
It has the Royal Shield reverse, which never carries a date, paired with an obverse that also has no date. Normal shield 20ps show the year beside the Queen's portrait.
Why does the 20p have seven sides?
It copies the 50p, which has had seven curved sides since 1969. The curves give the coin the same width in every direction, so it rolls smoothly and works in machines like a round coin while staying easy to recognize by touch.
When did the 20p come out?
It entered circulation on 9 June 1982, filling the gap between the 10p and the 50p. The first year's mintage of 740,815,000 is still the largest of any 20p date by a wide margin.
Is the 2008 rose 20p the undated one?
No. The rose design always has the date on its reverse. The undated coin is a Royal Shield 20p struck with the old dateless obverse. The 2008 rose coin is still worth keeping, with only 11,900,000 made.
Mintage figures from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Australian Mint figures. Sources.