Not necessary, I am a European citizen
Every country can make this type of change, for example when they are introducing a totally new card design, or implementing a new security on it, for whatever reason they have.
If it's an European country, then I doubt the old cards are considered valid by the government, especially if it's an EU country, as they need to follow strict rules and regulations regarding personal identification, and are by law required to issue you new cards and not turn a blind eye to it as you suggested.