The Treasury has put a halt on producing Brexit 50p coins after Chancellor Sajid Javid admitted the government’s deadline to deliver Brexit next Thursday “can’t be met”.
The commemorative coins were originally designed to be inscribed with the October leave date after Boris Johnson vowed to take Britain out of the EU by the 31.
However, after MPs thwarted the Prime Minister’s chances of fast-tracking his deal through Parliament and EU ambassadors agreed to delay the exit, the Treasury has since updated its position.
A Treasury spokesman said: “We have paused production of the Brexit coin, and will take a final decision in due course.”
Mr Javid announced plans for the celebratory coins, which would be emblazoned with the words “peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations”, earlier this year, asking for three million to be in circulation for when Britain leaves the EU.
Seven million more of the coins were then due to be minted throughout the course of the next year.
The Royal Mint regularly issues special coins to mark national moments and twenty-two 50p coins have been released since 2010.
The Brexit coin was due to join other EU-related coinage in the public purse, including one which was made when the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and another that was cast when the nation hosted the EU Council in 1998.
EU ambassadors have agreed to delay Brexit, but will not make a decision on a new deadline date until next week.
The Prime Minister said he is waiting for the EU to decide “what they want to do” and MPs are expected to consider Boris Johnson’s call for an early general election on December 12, on Monday.
