1982 2p Coin

Quick answers

Is the 1982 2p rare?

It is scarcer than most 2p coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.

How many 1982 2p coins were made?

None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.

What is the 1982 2p made of?

Bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin). It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.

Is the 1982 2p still legal tender?

Yes. The 2p is legal tender, though 1p and 2p coins together only have to be accepted for payments up to 20p.

How to recognize it

The design is Ironside's Prince of Wales's feathers, the three ostrich plumes and coronet with ICH DIEN on the ribbon, now topped by TWO PENCE. Arnold Machin's portrait remains on the obverse, the Queen wearing a tiara, with ELIZABETH II D G REG F D and 1982. The coin is bronze, 25.9 mm across and 7.12 g, with a plain edge. Compare it with a 1981 2p and the only change is the wording. Machin's portrait would stay on the 2p for just two more dates, both sets-only, before Maklouf took over. The ribbon, coronet and feathers themselves were not altered at all.

The other side carries Arnold Machin's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used on UK coins from 1968 to 1984.

1982 2p by the numbers

No 1982 2p coins were struck for circulation, so none were paid out by banks. For comparison, nearby circulation dates were 1979 2p (260.2 million), 1980 2p (408.5 million), 1981 2p (353.2 million) and 1985 2p (107.1 million).

What to check on your 1982 2p

• Confirm the date. 1982 2p coins came only from collector sets, so a genuine one is often in very good condition.
• Try a magnet: bronze 2p coins do not stick to it. A coin that sticks is copper-plated steel from 1992 or later, so read the date again.
• 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 a sets-only date and the first TWO PENCE year, the 1982 2p is a coin collectors want in their date runs. It is normally obtained in its set, where it sits alongside the other denominations of the year. Expect a small premium for a clean loose coin. Examples from change are uncommon and worth keeping, though wear takes away most of the appeal. Look for even luster and crisp lettering in the motto ribbon. Avoid coins with dark spots on the surface.

Bronze TWO PENCE 2p (1982 to 1991)

When the word NEW disappeared from British coins in 1982, the 2p reverse was changed to read TWO PENCE above the Prince of Wales's feathers. The 2p then went through an odd spell. Pennies kept pouring out for circulation, but no 2p coins were struck for change in 1982, 1983 or 1984. The large runs of 1980 and 1981 appear to have left enough in circulation, so those three dates exist only in Royal Mint sets.

It was during this sets-only spell that one of the best known errors in decimal British coinage happened. Some 1983 sets contained a 2p struck with the old NEW PENCE reverse instead of TWO PENCE. Raphael Maklouf's portrait of the Queen in a diadem replaced Machin's in 1985, the year circulation 2p coins came back with 107,113,000 struck. Output peaked at 419,889,000 in 1988 before tailing off to 86,625,250 in 1991, the lowest figure of any bronze 2p made for circulation.

Physically nothing changed in these years: bronze, 25.9 mm, 7.12 g, plain edge and no reaction to a magnet. For collectors, the sets-only dates and the 1983 error are the highlights. Circulation dates from 1985 to 1991 are face value when worn, though uncirculated red coins can carry a small premium. Bronze 2p coins tone to a deep brown over time. That is normal, while bright pink patches usually mean a coin has been cleaned and lost some of its appeal.

Mintage chart

Specifications

Frequently asked questions