5 Pence - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait, small type

The small 5 pence was introduced across the British Isles in 1990 as part of a coordinated reduction in coin size, driven by persistent public complaints that the larger predecessor was unnecessarily bulky for its face value. Guernsey, like Jersey and the Isle of Man, adopted the new format on its own schedule and with its own reverse dies, maintaining the island's right to issue distinct coinage under its constitutional relationship with the Crown — a privilege dating to the Norman period.

KM#42.2 distinguishes this issue from the transitional 1990 strikes that briefly used older die combinations.