The British decimal five pencecoin (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.[1] 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coin, which also remained legal tender, until a smaller version was introduced in June 1990 with the older coins being withdrawn on 31 December 1990.[2] Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015.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.
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.[3]
The five pence coin was originally minted from cupro-nickel (75% Cu, 25% Ni), but since 2011[4] 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.[5]
As of March 2014, an estimated 3,847 million 5p coins were in circulation with an estimated face value of £192.370 million.[6]
Design
The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, and used from 1968 to 2008, 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 (1982–2008) 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,[7] 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.
On 27 June 1990 a reduced size version of the five pence coin was introduced. The older larger coins were withdrawn on 31 December 1990. The design remained unchanged.
From 1998 to 2015, the portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley was used,[8] again featuring the tiara, with a signature-mark IRB below the portrait.
As of June 2015, coins bearing the portrait by Jody Clark have been seen in circulation.
In August 2005 the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins apart from the £2 coin.[9] The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from mid-2008.[10] The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety was featured on the now-obsolete round £1 coin. The 5p coin depicts the centre of the Royal shield, showing the meeting point of the four quarters. The coin's obverse remains largely unchanged, but the beading (the ring of dots around the coin's circumference), which no longer features on the coin's reverse, has also been removed from the obverse.
In October 2023 the King Charles III five-pence coin was presented; the coin features an oak leaf with acorns. [11]
Mintages
More information Year, Number minted ...
Number of five pence coins minted for circulation by year[12]
Year
Number minted
Composition
Diameter (mm)
Portrait
Reverse
1968
98,868,250
Cupro-nickel
23.59
Machin
Ironside
1969
120,270,000
1970
225,948,525
1971
81,783,475
1972
0
1973
0
1974
0
1975
141,539,000
1976
0
1977
24,308,000
1978
61,094,000
1979
155,456,000
1980
220,566,000
1981
0
1982
0
1983
0
1984
0
1985
0
Maklouf
1986
0
1987
48,220,000
1988
120,744,610
1989
101,406,000
1990
1,634,976,005
18.00
1991
724,979,000
1992
453,173,500
1993
0
1994
93,602,000
1995
183,384,000
1996
302,902,000
1997
236,596,000
1998
217,376,000
Rank-Broadley
1999
195,490,000
2000
388,512,000
2001
337,930,000
2002
219,258,000
2003
333,230,000
2004
271,810,000
2005
236,212,000
2006
317,697,000
2007
246,720,000
2008
92,880,000
165,172,000
Dent
2009
132,960,300
2010
396,245,500
2011
50,400,000
Nickel-plated steel
2012
339,802,350
2013
378,800,750
2014
885,004,520
2015
163,000,000
536,600,000
Clark
2016
305,740,000
2017
220,515,000
2018
0
2019
92,800,000
2020
49,200,000
2021
28,000,000
2022
42,800,000
Close
Mint Sets have been produced since 1982; where mintages on or after that date indicate 'none', there are examples contained within those sets.