British 2 Pence

The pound sterling is the official currency of the United Kingdom, Jersey, England, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the British Antarctic Territory, and Tristan da Cunha. The pound was a unit of account in Anglo-Saxon England, and its origins date back to the reign of King Offa of Mercia (757–796).  In 1968, the first coins were introduced in denominations of 5p and 10p, followed by 50p in 1960. After the decimal coinage was completed in 1971, a new ½ and 1 penny and 2 pence coins were introduced. The 20p coin was introduced in 1982, and 1£ in the following year. The 2£ coin was introduced in 1998. 20 years later (2008), there was a complete redesign of the coins in denominations of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, and 50p. For the year 2020, the oldest coins in circulation in the UK are the 1p and 2p copper coins which were introduced in 1971. The Royal Mint issues all the coins in the United Kingdom. Official currency symbol: £/p (pre-decimal).

The 2 British pence coin front design features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other commonwealth realms) and the issue date. The reverse of the coin illustrates the Feathers of the Prince of Wales (heraldic insignia of the Prince of Wales), which consists of three white ostrich feathers that start from a gold crown; a ribbon under the crown bears the German motto Ich dien (I serve). The design is completed with the denomination. This coin is part of the 1998 – 2008 series, its rim is plain, and its color is bronze.

Text: ELIZABETH·II·D·G REG·F·D·2006, IRB, TWO PENCE, 2. (Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God Queen Defender of the Faith (Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensatrix)