Bank Negara Malaysia introduced the second series of circulating coinage in 2011 following a demonetization of the previous sen denominations, part of a broader rationalisation that also eliminated the 1 sen coin from circulation entirely. The 50 sen survived that cull, though its purchasing power had eroded so significantly by the 2010s that its continued production was itself a minor policy debate.
The nickel brass clad copper composition was chosen partly to deter counterfeiting that had plagued the earlier nordic gold-toned pieces.
Bank Negara Malaysia introduced the second series of circulating coinage in 2011 following a demonetization of the previous sen denominations, part of a broader rationalisation that also eliminated the 1 sen coin from circulation entirely. The 50 sen survived that cull, though its purchasing power had eroded so significantly by the 2010s that its continued production was itself a minor policy debate.
The nickel brass clad copper composition was chosen partly to deter counterfeiting that had plagued the earlier nordic gold-toned pieces.