The problem with this was that all coins are arranged in 'tiers', each coin in a tier having the same weight-to-value ratio so that a bag of mixed coins could be weighed to ascertain the value so long as they were all bronze, all silver, etc. The 10-shilling note then in use was lasting only five months and it had been suggested that a coin, which could last fifty years, would be more economical. In 1967 the Deputy Master of the Royal Mint approached the Decimal Currency Board to ask for their advice on the introduction of a new coin. įifty pence coins are legal tender for amounts up to the sum of £10 when offered in repayment of a debt however, the coin's legal tender status is not normally relevant for everyday transactions. The coin has proved popular with coin collectors leading to numerous differing designs for both commemorative and circulating coins. As of October 2022, five different royal portraits have been used.Īs of March 2013 there were an estimated 920 million 50p coins in circulation. Its obverse features the profile of the current Monarch since the coin's introduction in 1969. The British decimal fifty pence coin (often shortened to 50p in writing and speech) is a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄ 2 of one pound.
