Humberton Guard Guild Website

Last time i visited the UK, I got a 50 pence coin that was not like the ones i'm used to getting. This one was bigger and heavier. The imprint on the front says NEW PENCE, but the coin is dated 1969. All other coins I have of 50 pence just say FIFTY PENCE and are smaller lighter and stamped in the nineties.

My question is: Why is the old '69 coin called new pence and is it bigger and heavier than the recent ones? Should i feel special for having one? Is that coin still used?

Ello
The older "new pence" coin is no longer useable ... they changed them to the smaller one not long ago, but rest assured when that old coin was made it was definately "new" its just u cant spend it now :/

Thanks fer sharing ...

Oh plus decimalisation happened in 1971 in the UK and they started introducing some coins in 1969.

---obligatory webby quote inc----
In 1969, a new coin denomination was issued in advance of decimalisation in 1971. This was a new fifty pence coin, although at first, as all the new coins, it had "New" inserted as part of its value, so that it became a "Fifty New Pence", at least from 1969 to 1981.

The smaller coins were introduced in 1997 so it sez on this webby http://www.24carat.co.uk/britanniaframe.html
If you look closely you will see that they actually had coins before 1969 as well ..... though i cant think why :/

Ooooh thanks for that info! Seems some of those coins slipped thru the mazes when they replaced them with the smaller ones. And I got a piece from the first year they were issued then. Splendid indeed