Gibraltar 1988: adopted and unadopted designs by Alfred Ryman

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Alfred Ryman.

Signature of Alfred Ryman.

Gibraltar issued its first circulating decimal coinage back in 1988.

The territory commissioned the Pobjoy Mint to produce its coins.

The designs were produced by local artist, Alfred Ryman.

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One penny.  A Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara).

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Two pence.  The Europa Point Lighthouse.

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Five pence. 

A macaque monkey (Macaca sylvanus) - known locally as "the Barbary ape".

It is surrounded by a motif of candytuft, Gibraltar's "national" flower.

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Ten pence.  The Moorish Castle, with the Mediaeval Tower of Homage.

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Twenty pence. 

Statue of "Our Lady of Europe" at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, Gibraltar.

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Fifty pence.  A candytuft, Gibraltar's floral emblem. 

The actual coin was NOT minted "upside-down".

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One pound.  Gibraltar's coat of arms.

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Two pounds.  The cannon of the Ince battery.

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Five pounds.  Hercules and his pillars.

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In 1989 Gibraltar issued a circulating commemorative pound coin.

It honoured the 150th anniversary of the first Gibraltar coin.

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Here is a sketch for a one royal coin.

The design is familiar - but was it ever issued as a "royal" ?




Gibraltar, 1/5 of a crown, 1995.  Gold.

This looks like the design shown in the sketch.

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This sketch was meant to show the equivalent of a gold sovereign: a Tarik.

It depicts Moorish leader Tarik Ibn-Zeyad.


The name Gibraltar is a corruption of Gibel-Tarik, meaning "Tarik's Mount". 

Tarik is the one who had the Moorish Castle built in Gibraltar.


The British pointed out that this design resembled George and the Dragon.

They therefore advised Gibraltar against using it.

Would anybody really mistake Tarik for Saint George?

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Nelson and HMS Victory appear in this sketch.

It was intended for a proposed platinum Tarik coin.

The coin was never issued.

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Here are some official descriptions issued by Gibraltar at the time.