Here is another Isle of Man Crown

[ghipszky]

I like this one because it was another milestone in history.
Ginger

[translateltd]

The reverse design is nicely done, too.  Though it's worth asking what connection either Scott or the Antarctic have with the IOM :-)  The IOM has issued NCLT coins for its own historical events (centenary of the horse tram, millennium of the Tynwald (IOM Parliament), for instance), which to me are more meaningful than the many "world" events that it chooses to mark.  They even issued a crown in 1976 for the US Bicentennial, which I thought was stretching things a little.

Martin
NZ

[ghipszky]

Hi Martin,
Maybe I should start looking for some coins commemorating their own events then, if I can find any.
Well at least the mint is busy and people have jobs.
Ginger

[Figleaf]

I was surprised to see the sledge on the coin was man-hauled. I would have expected sledge dogs. A bit of Googling and this self-explanatory text came up:

"His expedition style couldn't have been more different than that of Amundsen's. He carried with him three Wolesley Motor Sledges–poorly designed and tested. One never reached the shore when it crashed through the ice and sank. The two others were abandoned at "Corner Camp" less than 100 miles from Cape Evans. By contrast, Amundsen's party consisted of only five men and nearly 100 dogs and within 99 days had conquered the Pole and returned in comparative comfort.

Scott's South Pole party consisted of 16 men, the two remaining Wolesley Motor Sledges, 8 horses and about 25 dogs–all staged to leave camp at different times as to arrive together at their evening camp. Scott was not a planner. He had never skied in his life until forced to do so after the sledges broke down. He had a mistrust for dogs (and most of his men, for that matter) and regarded "man-hauling" his sledges as the noble way to travel. After reading Shackleton's preference for white horses, Scott insisted on the same–limiting himself to 50% of the available stock. They all died of starvation and intense cold before they left the Ross Ice Shelf.

His men were underfed and dipped into the returning caches on the approach. The caches were poorly marked with one cairn and were easy to miss. Amazingly, he allowed only 4 days of bad weather for the entire polar trek. Naturally, his party slowly starved on 2/3 the caloric intake that was considered a minimum for the trek to the pole by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1957–and this was motorized.

Some say that Scott's final error was including a fifth member in his party for the final push to the Pole which further strained their tentage and rations. Incredibly, the original four had no surveying experience. Indeed, they made the Pole only to find Amundsen's tent left there 35 days before. Thoroughly depressed, the march back to Cape Evans deteriorated into a slow death-march: Evans dying of scurvy and exhaustion, then Oates walking into the blizzard and the final three (Scott, Wilson and Bowers) succumbing in a frozen tent only 11 miles from "one ton cache.""

Far from admiring him, people should realize he was a poor leader and bears responsibility for the death of his men.

Source: Doug V. Leen

[ghipszky]

Well that certainly puts a slant on how I look at him now.
Ginger

[blackev]

Thats hilarious, what a downer.

-blackev

[BC Numismatics]

Martin,
  I couldn't see any connection between the Isle of Man & Antarctica at all.I do have a 1 Crown medal-coin that DOES have a Manx connection - a 1989PM 1 Crown that commemorates the Bicentenary of the mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty,which lead to the establishment of the Colony of the Pitcairn Islands.This particular medal-coin depicts Fletcher Christian,who was actually an Englishman of Manx descent.

Here's a link; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Christian .

Aidan.

[Oklahoman]

An old thread I know, but Washington's wife was a Custis.  I believe she had some Manx heritage.  I noticed she isn't on the coin though.