2008 Old Reverse 2p Coin
The 2008 Old Reverse 2p is a 2p coin struck for circulation with 10.6 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
- 10,600,000
- 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 2p worth?
10.6 million were made, so the 2008 Old Reverse 2p 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 color
- A coin from a sets-only year
- A recognized variety or genuine error such as the 1983 NEW PENCE mule
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 2p rare?
- No. 10.6 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2008 Old Reverse 2p coins were made?
- 10,600,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2008 Old Reverse 2p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.
- Is the 2008 Old Reverse 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.
The 2008 2p coin in context
Christopher Ironside's Prince of Wales's feathers had been on every 2p since 1971. In 2008 the Royal Mint introduced Matthew Dent's shield designs, but it also struck a final batch of feathers 2p coins with the 2008 date. Those coins close a run of 38 dates and are the last 2p coins to carry the numeral 2 and the ICH DIEN motto.
Just 10,600,000 were made, against 241,679,000 shield 2p coins of the same year. That is the lowest circulation mintage of any 2p date. It is also far below the 2008 portcullis penny, which had 180,600,000 made, so the 2p is the version of the old design to chase from that year. Many were spent before people knew to look, but they still surface in change from time to time. The contrast with the shield coins could hardly be sharper. For every feathers 2p dated 2008 there are more than twenty shield coins, so finding one in a handful of change is a genuine stroke of luck. It rewards anyone who checks the reverse of every 2008 2p.
How to recognize it
The coin is the classic Ironside 2p: three ostrich feathers rising through a coronet with the ICH DIEN ribbon, TWO PENCE above and a large numeral 2 beneath. Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen in a tiara is on the obverse with the 2008 date. It is copper-plated steel, 25.9 mm across and 7.12 g with a plain edge, so it is magnetic. The shield 2p of the same year has no numeral and shows a section of the Royal Arms instead, so the two are easy to tell apart even from across a table. Both versions carry the same obverse.
The other side carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1998 to 2015.
2008 Old Reverse 2p by the numbers
By the numbers, the 2008 Old Reverse 2p is the lowest of 45 2p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2021. The next more common is the 2017 2p (16.6 million).
Compared with the dates around it, the 2008 output was 24 times fewer than 2007 and 14 times fewer than 2009. Other 2008 2p coins: 2008 Shield Reverse 2p (241.7 million).
Over the 2000s the Mint produced 2.98 billion 2p coins across 11 dates and varieties; the 2008 Old Reverse 2p accounts for 0.4% of that.
What to check on your 2008 Old Reverse 2p
- 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 2p 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.
This is the 2p to look for in modern change. With only 10,600,000 made, worn examples are close to face value, while bright uncirculated ones carry a small premium. Check every 2008 2p you find: if it shows the feathers, keep it. It also makes a good pair with the 2008 shield 2p to show the year of change. Avoid coins with rust spots or heavy scratches. A coin with clear feathers and an unbroken copper surface is the one to keep. If you find more than one, keep the best and spend the rest, since worn examples carry little premium.
Royal Shield 2p (2008 to 2021)
Matthew Dent's shield designs replaced Ironside's in 2008. The 2p shows its own section of the Royal Arms shield with TWO PENCE, joining the other five coins from 1p to 50p to make the full shield when they are placed together. The old feathers design was also struck with the 2008 date, but only 10,600,000 carry it, a small fraction of the 241,679,000 shield coins of the same year.
Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait stayed until 2015, when Jody Clark's portrait arrived and both versions were struck that year. Output drifted down through the 2010s, hitting 40,600,000 in 2013 and just 16,600,000 in 2017. None were struck for circulation in 2018, 2019 or 2020. Production for change resumed with 117,700,000 coins in 2021. Under King Charles III a new 2p with a red squirrel was introduced, though it falls outside this run of Elizabeth II dates.
This is the period with the most interesting modern 2p coins. The 2008 feathers coin, the 2017 date and the 2015 Rank-Broadley version are all worth looking for, along with the years when none were made for change. Every coin here is copper-plated steel, 25.9 mm and 7.12 g with a plain edge. Most are face value. The quickest checks are the reverse on a 2008 coin and the initials under the bust on a 2015 coin.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2008 |
| Circulation mintage | 10,600,000 |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 7.12 g |
| Diameter | 25.9 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Rank-Broadley |
Other 2008 2p coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Shield Reverse 2p Coin | 241,679,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 2p with the feathers rare?
It is the lowest circulation 2p date, with 10,600,000 made against 241,679,000 shield coins that year. It is scarce in change rather than a great rarity. A bright example carries a small premium.
Why were two different 2p coins made in 2008?
2008 was the year Matthew Dent's shield designs replaced Christopher Ironside's reverses. Feathers 2p coins were also struck with the 2008 date, so the year exists with both the old and the new design.
Mintage figures: Two pence (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.