1983 UK Martini Uncirculated Set : Rare New Pence 2p

Rare 1983 'New Pence' 2p, found in a Martini uncirculated set.

The 1983 Mule New Pence 2p

In 1971 a new British bronze Two Pence coin was introduced, featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to one side and a distinctive design featuring the three feathers badge of the Prince of Wales to the other. For the next decade these coins were struck annually with the words 'NEW PENCE' above the feathers before the design was modified in 1982 to read 'TWO PENCE'.

However, in 1983, a very small number of UK 2p coins were issued with the old 'NEW PENCE' design.

The 1983 New Pence Two Pence is a rare modern mule coin.

Coins where the obverse ('heads') and reverse ('tails') designs come from different pieces are known to coin collectors as 'mules'. The name originates with the word for a hybrid between a donkey and a horse. Modern mule coins are largely the result of manufacturing mistakes where a superficially similar die is accidentally swapped with the correct one.

Usually errors like this are corrected fast but occasionally they are released before the issue is spotted. That seems to be the case with the 1983 mule 2p: the vast majority of 1983 sets and individual coins feature the standard design but there are definitely a few that slipped the net, including the coin in this set.

Martini And Heinz 1983 Coin Sets

This rare Two Pence comes in a presentation pack produced, bizarrely, by Martin & Rossi, the Italian beverage company, known for their Martini brand of vermouth. It seems that the set was issued as part of a drinks promotion. Only a few of the Martini sets contain the error coin, most feature the standard 1983 2p.

Similar coin sets were also distributed in this year by Heinz, manufacturers of sauces, soups, beans, etc. Those Heinz sets are also known to contain the New Pence 2p.

The Martini set is billed as 'The Great British 1983 Coin Coin Collection' and boasts eight UK coins 'in uncirculated quality', presented in a fold-out display wallet. The coins themselves are protected by plastic and the packaging is printed with information on how coins are made, a brief history of The Royal Mint and information of the designs of each coin. 

Rare Modern UK Error Coins

There are only a few modern UK coins that we can call truly rare. Misleading eBay listings may give the impression that common British coins with commemorative designs or damage are scarce errors but - more often than not - this is simply not true.

The 1983 'New Pence' 2p is among the short list of valuable cupronickel and bronze coins issued in recent decades. Other examples include:

• 'Lines over the face' 2011 Aquatics 50p: a small number of these London Olympics coins, found in brilliant uncirculated packs, show this version, issued before it was revised to the later design that shows the swimmers face unobstructed
• Undated 20p: in November 2008 The Royal Mint accidentally struck about 250,000 20 Pence pieces using a new royal shield of arms design, paired with the old 'heads' side portrait, missing out the year entirely - the error was quickly corrected but quite a few entered circulation
• 2009 Kew Gardens 50p - This isn't an error or a design variant but this 50 Pence, issued to commemorate 250 years of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, is notably rare. Just 210,000 were made by The Royal Mint and they've become a sort of holy grail for change collectors