Five pence (British coin)
| United Kingdom | |
| Value | 0.05 pound sterling |
|---|---|
| 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 (1971–2010) 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 |
The British decimal five pence (5p) coin – often pronounced five pee – is a unit of currency equaling five one-hundredths of a pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction in 1968, replacing the shilling in preparation for decimalisation in 1971. 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.
Five pence and ten pence coins are legal tender only up to the sum of £5; this means it is permissible to refuse payment of sums greater than this amount in 5p and 10p coins to settle a debt.
The five pence coin was originally minted from cupronickel (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.
The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, and used from 1971 to 2009, is a crowned thistle (formally, The Badge of Scotland, a thistle royally crowned), with the numeral "5" below the thistle, and either NEW PENCE (1968–1981) or FIVE PENCE (1982–2009) above the thistle.
To date, three different obverses have been used. In all cases, the inscription is ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. 2013, where 2013 is replaced by the year of minting. In the original design, both sides of the coin are encircled by dots, a common feature on coins, known as beading.
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