What is a two-pence coin made out of?

According to the Royal Mint, the British 2-pence coin is currently made from copper-plated steel. When it was originally introduced in 1971, the composition was 97 percent copper, 2.5 percent zinc and 0.5 percent tin.

The rising cost of metals forced the mint to change the composition to a more affordable mixture in September of 1992. In 1997, coins of both types were minted. The 2-pence coin was created in February of 1971 alongside the penny and halfpenny coin as part of a new system of decimal currency in the U.K. The coin has a diameter of 25.9 mm and a weight of 7.12 grams.