1997 2p Coin

Quick answers

Is the 1997 2p rare?

No. 496.1 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.

How many 1997 2p coins were made?

496,116,000 were struck for circulation.

What is the 1997 2p made of?

Copper-plated steel. It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.

Is the 1997 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 other side carries Raphael Maklouf's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1985 to 1997.

The 1997 2p is round, 25.9 mm across and copper-plated steel.

1997 2p by the numbers

By the numbers, the 1997 2p ranks 41st lowest of 45 2p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2021. The next scarcer is the 1988 2p (419.9 million); the next more common is the 1994 2p (531.6 million).

For scale, the most common is the 1971 2p with 1.45 billion, about 2.9 times as many. The scarcest is the 2008 Old Reverse 2p with 10.6 million, 47 times fewer than this one.

Compared with the dates around it, the 1997 output was 1.7 times the 1996 figure and 5 times the 1998 figure.

Over the 1990s the Mint produced 2.65 billion 2p coins across 12 dates and varieties; the 1997 2p accounts for 19% of that.

What to check on your 1997 2p

• Confirm the date. Most dates are common, so the date and any variety decide whether a coin is worth setting aside.
• Try a magnet: 1997 2p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 1997 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.

Copper-plated steel 2p with the feathers (1992 to 2007)

In 1992 the 2p followed the penny into copper-plated steel. Bronze had become a costly material for a coin of such low value, so the Royal Mint switched to a steel core with a copper skin. The 1992 2p exists in both metals, but the bronze version was made only for that year's Royal Mint sets; the coins struck for change were steel. The new coins kept the 25.9 mm diameter and 7.12 g weight, so machines and counting scales were not affected. The one obvious difference is that steel coins are magnetic.

The switch was not a clean break. In 1998 the 2p was struck in bronze as well as steel, giving collectors a second date to check with a magnet. That year also brought Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait, replacing Raphael Maklouf's, which had been used since 1985. Ironside's feathers and the TWO PENCE wording continued throughout. Output climbed to 536,659,000 in 2000 and to 551,880,000 in 2001, the highest 2p figures of any dates apart from 1971.

Most 2p coins of this period are steel and face value when worn. Two dates deserve a magnet test: 1992 and 1998. Steel coins also show their age in their own way, with rust spots, pink scratches where the plating is cut and flaking on badly stored pieces. Those are damage, not errors. They lower a coin's appeal. Collectors look for bright coins with full feather detail, or uncirculated examples from Royal Mint sets.

Mintage chart

Specifications