2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p Coin
The 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p is a 2p coin struck for circulation with 85.9 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2015
- Circulation mintage
- 85,900,000
- 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 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p worth?
85.9 million were made, so the 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 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 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p rare?
- No. 85.9 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p coins were made?
- 85,900,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p made of?
- Copper-plated steel. It weighs 7.12 g and measures 25.9 mm.
- Is the 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 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 2015 2p coin in context
2015 was a changeover year for the Queen's portrait. Ian Rank-Broadley's effigy had been on British coins since 1998. In 2015 the Royal Mint introduced Jody Clark's new portrait. 2p coins were struck with both. The data records 85,900,000 with the Rank-Broadley portrait against 139,200,000 with Clark's.
That makes the Rank-Broadley 2015 2p the less common of the pair and the last Rank-Broadley 2p date. It closes an 18 date run of that portrait on the 2p, which began with the bronze and steel coins of 1998. Collectors often want both 2015 versions to show the change of portrait, so it pays to check the initials under the bust on any 2015 2p you find. The difference is easy to miss at arm's length, which is why so many of these coins are still in circulation unnoticed. A quick look at the initials is all it takes. Both versions were struck in large numbers, so this is a hunt you can actually win from your own change. A few minutes with a pile of 2015 coins is usually enough to find both.
How to recognize it
The reverse is Matthew Dent's section of the Royal Arms with TWO PENCE. The obverse shows Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen wearing a tiara, a dignified, mature image used on British coins since 1998. His initials, IRB, appear below the neck, which is the simplest way to tell this coin from the Clark version. It is struck in copper-plated steel, 25.9 mm wide and 7.12 g, with a plain edge. Clark's portrait, by contrast, shows a diadem and carries the initials JC. Put the two side by side and the change of headwear is obvious. Both versions are made of magnetic steel.
The other side carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, used from 1998 to 2015.
2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p ranks 5th lowest of 45 2p dates and varieties from 1971 to 2021. The next scarcer is the 2012 2p (67.8 million); the next more common is the 1991 2p (86.6 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1971 2p with 1.45 billion, about 17 times as many. The scarcest is the 2008 Old Reverse 2p with 10.6 million, 8.1 times fewer than this one.
Compared with the dates around it, the 2015 output was 2.9 times fewer than 2014 and 2.2 times fewer than 2016. Other 2015 2p coins: 2015 Clark Portrait 2p (139.2 million).
Over the 2010s the Mint produced 1.03 billion 2p coins across 11 dates and varieties; the 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p accounts for 8.4% of that.
What to check on your 2015 Rank-Broadley Portrait 2p
- Confirm the date and the variety (rank-broadley portrait). Most dates are common, so the date and any variety decide whether a coin is worth setting aside.
- Try a magnet: 2015 2p coins are copper-plated steel and stick to it. A 2015 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.
Worn 2015 Rank-Broadley 2p coins are face value, but the lower mintage gives them a small edge in interest over the Clark coin. Uncirculated pieces with bright surfaces can earn a small premium. They pair naturally with a Clark 2015 2p in a date set. The quick check is the initials IRB under the bust. Keep the pair in the same holder so the story is clear. Coins with sharp detail in the portrait and the shield are the ones to keep. Rust spots and scratches lower the appeal, so store steel coins dry.
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 | 2015 |
| Circulation mintage | 85,900,000 |
| Composition | Copper-plated steel |
| Weight | 7.12 g |
| Diameter | 25.9 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Portrait | Rank-Broadley |
Other 2015 2p coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Clark Portrait 2p Coin | 139,200,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
How do you know if your 2015 2p has the old portrait?
Look below the Queen's neck. IRB stands for Ian Rank-Broadley, whose portrait was used from 1998. JC means Jody Clark's new 2015 portrait. The reverse is the same shield section on both versions.
Which 2015 2p is rarer?
The Rank-Broadley version, with 85,900,000 made against 139,200,000 with Clark's portrait. Both are common enough that worn coins are face value, but collectors like having both versions of the date.
Mintage figures: Two pence (British decimal coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.