Five pence (British coin)
The British decimal five pence coin (often shortened to 5p in writing and speech) is a denomination of sterling coinage worth 5⁄100 of a pound. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction on 23 April 1968, replacing the shilling in preparation for decimalisation in 1971. It remained the same size as the one shilling coin, which also remained legal tender, until a smaller version was introduced in June 1990 with the older coins being withdrawn on 31 December 1990. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008.
United Kingdom | |
| Value | £0.05 |
|---|---|
| Mass | (1968–1990) 5.65 g (1990–present) 3.25 g |
| Diameter | (1968–1990) 23.59 mm (1990–present) 18.00 mm |
| Thickness | (Cupro-nickel) 1.7 mm (Steel) 1.89 mm |
| Edge | Milled |
| Composition | Cupronickel (1968–2010) Nickel-plated steel (2011–) |
| Years of minting | 1968–present |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Jody Clark |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Segment of the Royal Shield |
| Designer | Matthew Dent |
| Design date | 2008 |
5p coins are legal tender up to the sum of £5 when offered in repayment of a debt; however, the coin's legal tender status is not normally relevant for everyday transactions.
The five pence coin was originally minted from cupro-nickel (75% Cu, 25% Ni), but since 2011 it has been minted in nickel-plated steel due to the increasing price of metal. From January 2013, the Royal Mint began a programme to gradually remove the previous cupro-nickel coins from circulation with replacement by the nickel-plated steel versions.
As of March 2014, an estimated 3,847 million 5p coins were in circulation with an estimated face value of £192.370 million.