1983 Error 2p Coin Set

Item Description

1983 Great British Coin Collection sets (2), one with the sought-after 'New Pence' error mule 2p coin.

These 1983 coin sets are fairly common, but a select few feature a rare error that is highly sought after by serious coin collectors.

Great British 1983 Coin Collection Sets

The Royal Mint made thousands of these 1983 coin sets as part of a promotion for the drinks company Martini-Rossi.

When someone walks into an RWB Auctions valuation day with one of these sets, we always check the 1983 2p coin straight away. That's because a subtle mistake on this coin can take this set from being worth around £5 to selling for hundreds of pounds at auction.

1983 'New Pence' Error 2p Coins

Rare 1983 2p coins feature the words 'NEW PENCE' on the tails side when they should read 'TWO PENCE'.

From 1971, when the decimal 2p coin was introduced, until 1981, all UK 2p coins featured the words 'NEW PENCE' as standard, above a design inspired by the Prince of Wales's ostrich feather badge. This was to distinguish them from earlier 'Old Money' coins, which were phased out after Decimal Day.

From 1982, the design was tweaked to read 'TWO PENCE', which remained the standard design until 2008. That means 1983-dated 2p coins should be inscribed 'TWO PENCE' and the vast majority of the 637,100 coins produced in this year do have the correct wording.

However, it seems that a mix-up occurred at The Royal Mint, causing a small number of 2ps to be struck with the wrong design on one side.

It's unknown exactly how many coins were affected, but our experience indicates that a very small fraction of 1983 2p coins have this error.

What Are Mule Coins?

Numismatists (coin experts) call error coins like the 'New Pence' 1983 2p a 'mule'.

The name comes from the offspring of a horse and a donkey. Just like the animal combines parts of two different species, a mule coin combines dies (designs) that were not meant to go together, typically from different coins or issues.

In the case of the 1983 'New Pence' 2p, the die used for the tails side may have been from an earlier year.

Other examples of mule error coins include:

- Undated 20p

- 2014 Lord Kitchener £2 with no denomination

- 1994 Bank of England gold proof £2 with incorrect obverse

Modern minting mistakes like this are very rare, thanks to the quality control process employed by the Royal Mint, which produces all UK coinage. That makes error coins like the 1983 2p a key purchase for those interested in scarce and unusual British coinage.

Identifying Error 1983 2p Coins

To identify a rare 1983 'New Pence' 2p coin, look for the following features:

Date: 1983

Reverse Inscription: 'NEW PENCE' instead of 'TWO PENCE'

Packaging: Typically found in uncirculated condition within promotional sets

1983 2p coins were only made to go into commemorative sets like the Great British Coin Collection and were not released into circulation. While some of the error coins may have been removed from sets, we have generally seen them in the Martini-Rossi packaging or inside a similar promotional set made for Heinz.

Are NEW PENCE 2p Coins Rare?

Only 1983-dated 'NEW PENCE' 2p coins are rare.

Coins with this wording from any other year and very common and worth no more than their face value.

Unfortunately, sensationalist headlines about the rare 1983 coin have led some Brits to believe that all 'NEW PENCE' Two Pence coins are very valuable. We receive enquiries from people looking to sell common 2p coins every week. 

Worse, shady eBay sellers are taking advantage of this misinformation and listing ordinary coins for very high prices. We have been sent links to very common coins for sale on eBay for hundreds or even thousands of pounds. These coins are certainly not 'extremely rare' as they are described.

Sell Rare Error Coins With The Experts

If you're unsure of your coins' value, we encourage you to contact our experts today at coins@rwbauctions.com. We specialise in achieving record-breaking auction prices for rare modern coins and historic currency and are keen to offer you a free, no-obligation valuation for your collection.