Twenty pence (British coin)

This article describes the modern British twenty pence coin. For the 13th century English gold coin see Gold penny.

Twenty pence

United Kingdom
Value	20.0 pence sterling
Mass	5 g
Diameter	21.4 mm
Thickness	1.7 mm
Edge	Plain
Composition	84% Cu, 16%Ni
Years of minting	1982–present
Catalog number	-
Obverse
File:20pobverse.jpg
Design	Queen Elizabeth II
Designer	Ian Rank-Broadley
Design date	1997
Reverse
File:New 20p 2008.jpg
Design	Segment of the Royal Shield
Designer	Matthew Dent
Design date	2008

The British decimal twenty pence (20p) coin – often pronounced "twenty pee" – was issued on 9 June 1982 to fill the obvious gap between the ten pence and fifty pence coins. It rapidly gained acceptance: as of December 2005 there were an estimated 2,190 million 20p coins in circulation.

The coin is minted from an alloy of 84% copper and 16% nickel (unlike the other 'silver' coins which are 75% copper, 25% nickel), weighs 5.00 grams and has a diameter of 21.4 millimetres. Like the fifty pence piece, the coin is not circular, but is seven-sided to aid identification. The sides are not straight but are curved so that the centre of curvature is the opposite apex of the coin – this is an equilateral curve (a curve of constant width) which allows the coin's diameter to be consistently be measured in vending machines and slot machines.

Three different obverses have been used so far: between 1982 and 1984 the head of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin; between 1985 and 1997 the head by Raphael Maklouf; and since 1998 the head by Ian Rank-Broadley. In all cases, the inscription is ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D.

As with all British coinage, the technical specifications are the same as those of coins issued by such territories as the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar etc. As a result coins from these territories can sometimes be found in UK circulation. The 20p coin was introduced in the Channel islands before mainland Britain.

Reverse designs

1982–2008

File:Uk20prev.jpg

20p reverse design (1982–2008)

The original reverse of the coin, designed by William Gardner, is a crowned Tudor Rose, with the numeral "20" below the rose, the year, and TWENTY PENCE above the rose. Uniquely in modern British coinage, the inscriptions are mostly incuse; i.e. the lettering is punched into the coin rather than standing proud of it. The coin also differed from other British coinage at the time (bar the more recent £2 coin) in that the year of mintage is displayed on the reverse (the opposite side to the Queen's head).

2008–

File:New 20p 2008.jpg

20p reverse design (2008–)

In August 2005 the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins except the relatively new £2 coin. The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs will appear on the British coinage from summer 2008. The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety is featured on the £1 coin. The 20p coin depicts the meeting point of the second and fourth quarter of the shield, showing the Lion Rampant of Scotland and the Lions Passants of England. The words TWENTY PENCE now appear on two sides of the coin on the right of the main design of the coin.

Mintages

• 1982 ~ 740,815,000
• 1983 ~ 158,463,000
• 1984 ~ 65,350,965
• 1985 ~ 74,273,699
• 1986 ~ none
• 1987 ~ 137,450,000
• 1988 ~ 38,038,344
• 1989 ~ 132,013,890
• 1990 ~ 88,097,500
• 1991 ~ 35,901,250
• 1992 ~ 31,205,000
• 1993 ~ 123,123,750
• 1994 ~ 67,131,250
• 1995 ~ 102,005,000
• 1996 ~ 83,163,750
• 1997 ~ 89,518,750
• 1998 ~ 76,965,000
• 1999 ~ 73,478,750
• 2000 ~ 136,418,750
• 2001 ~ 148,122,500
• 2002 ~ 93,360,000
• 2003 ~ 153,383,750
• 2004 ~ 120,212,500
• 2005 ~ 81,356,250

External links

• Royal Mint – 20p coin
• Coins of the UK – Decimal 20p Coin