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The official coinage of the Isle of Man are denominated in Manx pounds. From 1971 to 2016, coins of the Isle of Man were minted by Pobjoy Mint Limited.[1] Since 2017, coins of the Isle of Man are minted by the Tower Mint.
Due to matching appearance and value of pound sterling coins, these coins often appear in circulation within the United Kingdom. However, they are not legal tender there. Conversely, the Isle of Man does recognise pound sterling coins.
As well as producing non-circulating commemorative designs, the Isle of Man regularly changes the designs on the circulating coins.
The Manx pound matches the pound sterling and went decimal in 1971, with the UK, however since this date the Isle of Man has been at the forefront of coin innovation:[2] The £1 coin was introduced on the Isle of Man in 1978, 5 years before the United Kingdom's equivalent,[3] and there is currently a circulating £5 coin.[1]
Below are descriptions of some of the different designs in circulation from the Isle of Man. This page does not cover non-circulating commemorative designs, such as the traditional Christmas 50 pence coins each year and the various crowns.[1]
Reverse design: A standing Manx cat facing left, with head turned to look out from the coin, surrounded with various swirling patterns underneath and across the belly of the cat.[3]
Reverse inscription: 1 below the design, partially obscured by a decorative swirl.
Reverse design: A standing shag bird, facing left, on a stylised crest with tassles and other patterns surrounding.[3]
Reverse inscription: 1 below the design.
1988-1995: Industry
Reverse design: A long industrial machine, possibly a lathe of some sort, across the centre of the design with a large industrial cog in the background - rather a difficult design to identify if you don't know what it is meant to be.[3]
Reverse inscription: ellan vannin (the Manx name for the Isle of Man) above the design, 1 below the design.
Reverse design: A pair of peregrine falcons, wearing dutch hoods and bells, together on a perch. Whilst the bodies of the birds face inwards the head of each bird is turned to look away from each other towards the edges of the coin.[3]
Reverse inscription: ISLE OF MAN above the design, TWO NEW PENCE below the design.
Reverse design: A native Manx shearwater bird in flight, heading upwards right, with outline of the Isle of Man in background - giving a sense of the bird flying high above the island.[3]
Reverse inscription: ISLE OF MAN above the design, TWO PENCE below the design.
Reverse design: A standing peregrine falcon facing left upon a stylised heraldic shield, with decorative flourishes behind.[3]
Reverse inscription: 2 below the falcon but within bottom point of the shield.
1988-1995: Celtic cross
Reverse design: A cross, superimposed upon a patterned disc, with: a jug in the centre of the cross, knitting in the top arm, a goblet in the right arm, two corn cobs in the left arm and a disc in the bottom arm.[3]
Reverse inscription: ellan vannin above the design, 2 below.
1996-1999: Cycling
Reverse design: Two cyclists riding downhill to right.[3]
Reverse inscription: 2 below the design, with laurel wreath extending up along coin edge to either side.
Reverse design: Manx sailboat upon choppy waters. The inscription is taken from the first line of the Manx Fisherman's Evening Hymn and translates as "Hear us, O Lord".[4]
Reverse inscription: CLASHT ROOIN, O HIARN above the design, 2 below.
Reverse design: A native Manx Loaghtan sheep, seemingly striped, walking to left with head turned back to face right, with decorative flourishes all around.[3]
Reverse inscription: 5 below the sheep, entwined within the flourishes.
Reverse design: A gyrfalcon perched on a branch facing towards the right but with head turned to look back to the left. Stylised swirls all around the coin and entwined through the inscription.[3]
Reverse design: A Manx Loaghtan ram facing left, standing on its hind legs with horns pointed forwards, inside a stylised shield surrounded by floral swirls around the edge.[3]
Reverse inscription: 10 below ram but inside shield.
1988-1991: Technology on globe
Reverse design: Outline of the Isle of Man upon a globe in the background and an orbiting star horizontally across the centre foreground. An area inside the Isle of Man is covered by a small netting/portcullis effect.[3]
Reverse inscription: ELLAN VANNIN above the design, 10 below with lines curving round the edge of the coin to the middle on either side.
Reverse design: The Triskeles emblem of the Isle of Man. The inscription is the latin motto of the Isle of Man and translates as "Whichever way you throw it, it will stand".[3]
Reverse inscription: 20 to left of design, QUOCONQUE above the design, JECERIS STABIT below.
Reverse design: A collection of medieval Norse armour and weapons amongst a filigree network of swirls. The items of armour include a winged helmet top centre above a breastplate and a round shield at bottom. A Viking ship is depicted on the centre of the shield. Various pairs of weapons cross behind the armour, starting at top: spear, battle axe, sword and dagger.[3]
Reverse design: Three identical atlantic herring, one above the other, swimming from right to left but with heads turned back to face right, by Leslie Lindsay. Stylised border around the fish.[3]
Reverse design: A combine harvester in a field, facing towards bottom left, with ears of wheat at either side.
Reverse inscription: ellan vannin above the design, 20 below the design.
1993-1995: Combine harvester (thick border)
Reverse design: Same as above for 1988–1992, but design now changed to include a thick border around the image. This border is kept for all future twenty pence designs.[3]
Reverse inscription: ellan vannin above the design but inside the border, TWENTY PENCE along the border around the top half of coin, 20 below the design, half inside the border and half on the border.
Reverse design: A viking longship sailing to left with outline of the Isle of Man in background. An eagle motif is shown on the sail and you can see the heads of the sailors and the sailor steering at the stern on the right.[3]
Reverse inscription: ISLE OF MAN above the design, FIFTY PENCE below.
Reverse design: A viking longship, with large checked sail and steering oar back left, on a stylised sea and with scrollwork above. You can also make out the heads of the sailors within the boat.[3]
Reverse inscription: 50 below the design, entwined with swirls.
Reverse design: A viking longship within a sylised shield. The sail of the ship is rolled up rather than being full. No sailors are visible.[3]
Reverse inscription: 50 below the design.
1988-1997: Computer age
Reverse design: An early computer inside two concentric circles and depicting a simple Triskeles design on the screen composed of horizontal lines.[3]
Reverse inscription: ellan vannin above the design, 50 below.
Large size - commemorative issues
1979: Tynwald Day - Commemorating the millennial anniversary of Tynwald's establishment
Reverse design: A viking longship sailing to front left on a sea. A lighthouse (presumably the Chicken Rock lighthouse) is shown in the background to the right of the ship. On the sail is a wheel with three spokes in the rough shape of the Triskeles.[3]
Reverse inscription: ISLE OF MAN above the design, FIFTY PENCE below, both following edge of coin. DAY OF TYNWALD, JULY 5TH immediately beneath the longship and manx millennium viking voyage around the image on the ship's sail .
Edge inscription: H·M Q·E-II ROYAL VISIT I·O·M JULY 1979
Reverse design: Motorcycle number 3 leaning into a left hand corner towards front right. TT trophy behind the rider and laurel wreaths reaching up either side of the coin edge.[3]
Reverse inscription: TT above the design, 50 below.
Reverse design: Motorcycle number 14 facing right whilst leaning into a right hand corner. Laurel wreaths reaching up either side of the coin edge.[3]
Reverse inscription: TT above the design, 50 below.
1984: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Mick Boddice
Reverse design: Motorcycle and sidecar number 3 facing front right. Laurel wreaths reaching up either side of the coin edge.[3]
Reverse inscription: TT above the design, 50 below.
1994: Commemorating the centenary of the Legislative Building in Douglas, meeting place of the Tynwald
Reverse design: The Legislative Building in Douglas above a sword pointing left with 1894 above the sword tip and 1994 above the pommel.[3]
Reverse inscription: LEGISLATIVE BUILDING CENTENARY above the design, 50 below.
Small size
1997–1999: Isle of Man TT races - commemorating the centenary of the island's famous TT races
Reverse design: Two motorcycles, number 9 leading number 4, facing front whilst negotiating right hand bend. Reputed to be Phillip McCallen and Nigel Davies.[5]
Reverse inscription: TT 100 YEARS above the design, 50 below, with laurel wreath extending up along coin edge to either side.
2000-2003: Pre-Norse carved cross
Reverse design: Upright carved cross with rays emanating from centre - taken from a pre-Norse carved altar frontal now held in the Manx Museum.[4]
Reverse inscription: CHRISTIANITY IN MANN above the design, 50 below.
