asked the Minister for Finance the intrinsic value of the following coins: ½p, 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 50p.

For the bronze decimal coins—the ½p, 1p and 2p coins—the value of the metal content at the prices currently prevailing is approximately 17 per cent of the face value of the coins. For the 5p and 10p coins the metal value is about 7.7 per cent of face value and for the 50p coin it is about 1.8 per cent of face value.

At the rate that inflation is going the face value will shortly be the same as the metal value.