5p Coin Designs and Specifications
With the introduction of the decimal coinage in 1971, the pre-decimal one shilling coin was re-denominated as a 5p coin and these old shilling coins continued to circulate alongside the 5p coin until 1990.
After a review of the United Kingdom coinage in 1987, the Government announced its intention to issue a smaller 5p coin.
The 5p coin is legal tender for amounts up to £5.
| First Issued | Smaller version - June 1990 (Larger version introduced 1968, demonetised 1990) |
| Specifications (Since 1990) | |
| Diameter | 18.0mm |
| Weight | 3.25g |
| Thickness | 1.7mm |
| Composition | Nickel-plated steel (since January 2012) Cupro-nickel (prior to January 2012) (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Obverse Designers | 1990-1997 - Raphael Maklouf 1998-2015 - Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS 2015-2022 - Jody Clark 2022 to date - Martin Jennings |
| Reverse Designers |
1968-2008 - Christopher Ironside 2008 - Matthew Dent 2022 to date - The Royal Mint |
| Edge | Milled |