It was the third of three new designs introduced all in bronze, the others being the halfpenny and penny.

The coin was designed by the Irish artist Gabriel Hayes and the design is adapted from the Second Bible of Charles the Bald held at Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.

The coin originally had a diameter of 2.591 centimetres and weight of 7.128 grams consisting of copper, tin and zinc.

In 1988, it was announced that the two-pence coin would be redesigned to incorporate the hare from the pre-decimal threepence,[1] but this plan was abandoned in the face of the imminent adoption of the euro.

In 1988, the decision was taken to produce the coin on a copper plated steel planchet as bronze had become too expensive.