”The 50-øre coin will be legal tender and can be spent as usual until 1 May this year. If you have a large number of 50-øre coins that you do not wish to keep, spend them or exchange them at your bank before 1 May”, advises Director Trond Eklund, Cashier’s Department.

At end-March 2012 the number of 50-øre coins in circulation was about 370 million. After 1 May 2012, 50-øre coins will only be redeemable at Norges Bank. Norges Bank is obligated to redeem these coins for a further 10 years.     

The withdrawal of the 50-øre coin means than the øre designation will no longer feature on Norwegian coins as from 1 May 2012. Cash payments after that date will be rounded up or down to the nearest krone.

The 50-øre coin in circulation today was issued on 16 September 1996. The royal crown features on the obverse of this coin. The reverse features a mythical animal from Urnes stave church in Luster municipality in western Norway and was designed by Polish-born Grazyna Jolanta Lindau.

High resolution photos:

50-øre coin obverse (1 MB)

50-øre coin reverse (1 MB)