50 Centavos Non-magnetic

Guatemala's 50 centavos coinage underwent a quiet but deliberate compositional shift in the late 1990s, when the Banco de Guatemala moved away from earlier magnetic alloys. The "non-magnetic" designation distinguishes this type from contemporaneous issues and matters practically for automated coin-handling systems — vending machines and transit validators across Central America were recalibrated specifically around these magnetic properties during this period.