2 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait, non-magnetic

By the late 1990s the Royal Mint was transitioning the 2p from bronze to copper-plated steel, a cheaper and magnetically sortable alloy that simplified automated handling. The 1998–1999 bronze pieces were struck during that crossover, making them the final non-magnetic 2p coins produced for circulation. Both years are relatively scarce in comparison to the steel issues that immediately followed, as production volumes were deliberately wound down ahead of the full compositional switch.