A PROCLAMATION

DETERMINING THE SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGNS FOR A NEW SERIES OF FIFTY PENCE COINS IN GOLD, STANDARD SILVER, SILVER PIEDFORT AND CUPRO-NICKEL

ELIZABETH R.

Whereas under section 3(1)(a), (b), (c), (cc), (cd), (d) and (dd) of the Coinage Act 1971 We have power, with the advice of Our Privy Council, by Proclamation to determine the denomination, the design and dimensions of coins to be made at Our Mint, to determine the weight and fineness of certain gold coins, the remedy to be allowed in the making of such coins and their least current weight, and to determine the weight and composition of coins other than gold coins or coins of silver of Our Maundy money, and the remedy to be allowed in the making of such coins, to provide for the manner of measurement of the variation from the standard weight of coins, and to determine the percentage of impurities which such coins may contain:

And Whereas under section 3(1) (ff) of the Coinage Act 1971 We have power, with the advice of Our Privy Council, by Proclamation to direct that any coin shall be legal tender for the payment of any amount:

And Whereas it appears to Us desirable to order that there should be made at Our Mint a new series of coins of the denomination of fifty pence in gold, in standard silver, in silver piedfort and in cupro-nickel:

We, therefore, in pursuance of the said section 3(1)(a), (b), (c), (cc), (cd), (d), (dd) and (ff), and of all other powers enabling Us in that behalf, do hereby, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, proclaim, direct and ordain as follows:

FIFTY PENCE GOLD COIN

1. (1) A new coin of gold of the denomination of fifty pence shall be made, being a coin of a standard weight of 15.5 grammes, a standard diameter of 27.3 millimetres a millesimal fineness of 916.7, and being in the shape of an equilateral curve heptagon.

(2) In the making of the said gold coin a remedy (that is, a variation from the standard weight, diameter or fineness specified above) shall be allowed of an amount not exceeding the following, that is to say:

(a) a variation from the said standard weight of an amount per coin of 0.07 grammes;

(b) a variation from the said standard diameter of 0.125 millimetres per coin; and

(c) a variation from the said millesimal fineness of two per mille.

(3) The least current weight of the said gold coin shall be 15.4 grammes.

(4) The variation from the standard weight will be measured as the average of a sample of not more than one kilogram of the coin.

FIFTY PENCE STANDARD SILVER COIN

2. (1) A new coin of silver of the denomination of fifty pence shall be made, being a coin of a standard weight of 8 grammes, a standard diameter of 27.3 millimetres, a standard composition of 925 parts per thousand fine silver, and being in the shape of an equilateral curve heptagon.

(2) In the making of the said silver coin a remedy (that is, a variation from the standard weight, diameter or composition specified above) shall be allowed of an amount not exceeding the following, that is to say:

(a) a variation from the said standard weight of an amount per coin of 0.17 grammes;

(b) a variation from the said standard diameter of 0.125 millimetres per coin; and

(c) a variation from the said standard composition of five parts per thousand fine silver.

(3) The variation from the standard weight will be measured as the average of a sample of not more than one kilogram of the coin.

(4) The said silver coin shall be legal tender for the payment of any amount in any part of Our United Kingdom.

FIFTY PENCE SILVER PIEDFORT COIN

3. (1) A new coin of silver of the denomination of fifty pence shall be made, being a coin of a standard weight of 16 grammes, a standard diameter of 27.3 millimetres, a standard composition of 925 parts per thousand fine silver, and being in the shape of an equilateral curve heptagon.

(2) In the making of the said silver coin a remedy (that is, a variation from the standard weight, diameter or composition specified above) shall be allowed of an amount not exceeding the following, that is to say:

(a) a variation from the said standard weight of an amount per coin of 0.25 grammes;

(b) a variation from the said standard diameter of 0.125 millimetres per coin; and

(c) a variation from the said standard composition of five parts per thousand fine silver.

(3) The variation from the standard weight will be measured as the average of a sample of not more than one kilogram of the coin.

(4) The said silver coin shall be legal tender for the payment of any amount in any part of Our United Kingdom.

FIFTY PENCE CUPRO-NICKEL COIN

4. (1) A new coin of cupro-nickel of the denomination of fifty pence shall be made, being a coin of a standard weight of 8 grammes, a standard diameter of 27.3 millimetres, a standard composition of seventy-five per centum copper and twenty-five per centum nickel, and being in the shape of an equilateral curve heptagon.

(2) In the making of the said cupro-nickel coin a remedy (that is, a variation from the standard weight, diameter or composition specified above) shall be allowed of an amount not exceeding the following, that is to say:

(a) a variation from the said standard weight of an amount per coin of 0.35 grammes;

(b) a variation from the said standard diameter of 0.125 millimetres per coin; and

(c) a variation from the said standard composition of two per centum copper and two per centum nickel.

(3) The said cupro-nickel coin may contain impurities of three-quarters of one per centum.

(4) The variation from the standard weight will be measured as the average of a sample of not more than one kilogram of the coin.

(5) The said cupro-nickel coin shall be current and shall be legal tender for the payment of any amount not exceeding ten pounds in any part of Our United Kingdom.

DESIGNS OF THE COINS

5. The designs of the said fifty pence gold, standard silver, silver piedfort and cupro-nickel coins shall be as follows:

‘For the obverse impression either Our effigy with the inscription “· ELIZABETH II · DEI · GRA · REG · FID · DEF ·”and the date of the year and for the reverse either:

(a) a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes surrounded by titles of the books and the inscription “SHERLOCK HOLMES” and “50 PENCE”; or

(b) a depiction of the Snowman from the book The Snowman and the boy flying through the air.

The coins shall have a plain edge.’

6. This Proclamation shall come into force on the twenty-eighth day of June Two thousand and eighteen.

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace this twenty-seventh day of June in the year of Our Lord Two thousand and eighteen and in the sixty-seventh year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

Thanks to Peter E. Blau, the 13th Garrideb, for alerting us to this news item.

This post was updated on January 1, 2019 with pictures from the British Royal Mint.