Fifty pence (British coin)

Fifty pence

United Kingdom
Value	£0.50
Mass	(1969–1994) 13.5 g (1997–pres.) 8.0 g
Diameter	(1969–1994) 30.0 mm (1997–pres.) 27.3 mm
Thickness	(1969–1994) 2.5 mm (1997–pres.) 1.78 mm
Edge	Plain
Composition	Cupro-nickel
Years of minting	1969–present
Obverse
Design	Queen Elizabeth II
Designer	Jody Clark
Design date	2015
Reverse
Design	Seated Britannia alongside a lion
Designer	Christopher Ironside
Design date	1969
Design discontinued	2008
Design	Segment of the Royal Shield
Designer	Matthew Dent
Design date	2008

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. Its obverse features the profile of the current Monarch since the coin's introduction in 1969. As of October 2022^[update], five different royal portraits have been used.

As of March 2013^[update] there were an estimated 920 million 50p coins in circulation.^[1] The coin has proved popular with coin collectors leading to numerous differing designs for both commemorative and circulating coins.^[2]

Fifty 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.