Milestones in the decimal coinage of the Isle of Man

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In 1990 the technology design of the 5p coin, depicting a windsurfer, had been reduced in size and weight, in line with the smaller UK 5p coin that had been released in 1990. The older and larger 5p coins were eventually demonetised in both the UK and the Isle of Man.

A new reverse design, showing a golf ball and two golf clubs, appeared on the 5 pence coin in 1994 and 1995, superseding the windsurfer design.

 

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The Isle of Man has often been criticised for issuing so many collector coins whose subjects have nothing to do with the Isle of Man. Here, however, is an attractive fifty pence design that does commemorate a Manx subject, namely the centenary of Mann's Legislative Building. It was issued in 1994.

 

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In 1996 the Isle of Man released a new design series on the theme of sport.

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The penny depicts a rugby ball between goal posts.

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The two pence shows a pair of racing cyclists.

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A golfer hitting a hole in one appears on the reverse of the five pence.

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A yacht appears on the ten pence coin.

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The twenty pence shows a Subaru Impreza leading a Ford Escort in the Manx International Rally.

 

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Two motorcycle racers are depicted on the fifty pence.

 

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The design on the reverse of the pound coin shows various cricket implements.

 

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In 1996 the Isle of Man issued a pound coin celebrating the Centenary of Douglas. The design was a variation on the one used as part of the pound coin town series in 1986. I had thought that in 1996 Douglas was already a lot older than 100 years. It was made the capital of Mann in 1869, according to Wikipedia - or is that a typo and they really meant 1896? So what does this centenary REALLY mark?

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In 1997 the Isle of Man released a new circulating denomination: a bimetallic two pound coin. The design depicts a Jaguar, Rolls-Royce and Napier in a vintage car rally.

Because of the Manx preference for banknotes, and because they had retained their Manx one pound note, I suspect that not many of these coins actually found their way into circulation.

Also in 1997, the Isle of Man reduced the size and weight of its fifty pence coin. The UK made the same change to its own fifty pence coin in 1997. The Isle of Man kept the same sports design it had used for the larger version of the fifty pence.

Note that the edges of ALL Manx two pound coins (bimetallic and nickel-brass versions) have a reeded edge and they do NOT have an edge inscription.

 

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The circulation two pound design was based on the 1996 collector version of the two pound coin, released in 1996 as part of the sport series. This coin was not bimetallic.

 

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In 1998 the UK introduced a new effigy of the Queen for use on the obverse of its circulation coins. The new portrait was created by Ian Rank- Broadley and replaced the one by Raphael Maklouf. The Isle of Man also adopted the new effigy in 1998. As you can see from the image above, it was still in use in 2015.

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Back in 1998 the new Isle of Man obverse came in two varieties: one with three small triskeles and one without the triskeles. Above you see the version with the triskeles.