Posts Tagged ‘Isle of Man £2’
‘Operation Dynamo’ commemorated on brand new Isle of Man £2 pair!
2020 marks 80 years since the ‘Miracle of Dunkirk’ – one of the greatest turning points of the Second World War.
Known as Operation Dynamo, in 1940 over 300,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches and harbour at Dunkirk, France in over 800 hastily assembled vessels.
80 years on, this significant anniversary has been commemorated with the Isle of Man Dunkirk £2 Pair.
2020 Isle of Man Dunkirk £2 Pair
This stunning £2 coin pair features the Isle of Man Steam Company packet ship, the SS Mona’s Isle, rescuing soldiers at Dunkirk.
Mona’s Isle was the first non-military ship to leave Dover for Dunkirk during the evacuation and the first to complete a round trip, rescuing a total of 2,634 troops.
As a perfect tribute to SS Mona’s Isle and the bravery of her crew, this BRAND NEW £2 coin pair has been issued by the Isle of Man.
What’s more, JUST 3,000 of each design will be entering circulation on the Isle of Man – making these coins particularly hard to come by as i’m sure collectors on the island will be quick to snap these up for their collections!
To secure the Isle of Man Dunkirk £2 Pair in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, click here >>
To celebrate these brand new releases, we’re taking a look back at the other coins issued to commemorate the Second World War…
2020 The End of the Second World War £5
2020 marked 75 years since the end of the Second World War and in commemoration this brand new UK £5 coin was issued, honouring the struggles and sacrifices made to achieve lasting peace.
Designers Matt Dent and Christian Davies have included the words ‘WAR’ and ‘PEACE’ on the reverse of this coin.
This £5 coin’s design was said to be inspired by stone war memorials, paying tribute to the millions of lives lost during the six years of conflict.
2020 UK Victory in Europe £2
Issued by The Royal Mint, this 2020 VE Day £2 features a woman holding a newspaper aloft in a crowd of celebrating people, set against a backdrop of the word VICTORY.
2020 marks a particularly poignant anniversary as we celebrate 75 years since Victory in Europe Day. Many celebrations had been scheduled to mark this joyous occasion, including rescheduling the Early May Bank Holiday to the 8th, but were not able to take place due to the pandemic.
In place of the big parties that were planned, people took to their doorsteps to sing and raise a glass over their fence with their neighbours!
The edge inscription of this coin reads ‘JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW’ which is incredibly fitting for a coin which marks such a historic anniversary.
2019 75th Anniversary of D-Day £2
D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It took place on 6th June 1944 and began the liberation of German-occupied France during WWII, laying the foundations of the Allied victory.
Designed by renowned Royal Mint engraver, Stephen Taylor, this coin was issued in 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It features arrows each pointing across the English Channel to Normandy. Each arrow also has one of the code names used for each of the beaches where Allied troops landed – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
This £2 coin is a timeless tribute to the thousands of Allied troops who fought tirelessly and sacrificed their lives to make the Normandy landings a success.
1994 UK D-Day Landings 50p
On 6th June 1944 a mighty alliance of British, American and Commonwealth armed forces crossed from England to Normandy and began assault on German forces.
It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and began the liberation of German-occupied France, laying the foundations for the Allied victory of World War Two.
A timeless tribute to the thousands of Allied troops who fought tirelessly in the War, this 50p coin was issued in 1994 to commemorate 50 years since D-Day.
2015 UK Battle of Britain 50p
On 6th June 1944 a mighty alliance of British, American and Commonwealth armed forces crossed from England to Normandy and began assault on German forces.
It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and began the liberation of German-occupied France, laying the foundations for the Allied victory of World War Two.
A timeless tribute to the thousands of Allied troops who fought tirelessly in the War, this 50p coin was issued in 1994 to commemorate 50 years since D-Day.
Will you be adding the 2020 Isle of Man Dunkirk £2 Pair to your collection? Let us know in the comments!
Secure the 2020 Isle of Man Dunkirk £2 Pair to your collection
We only have a limited stock available for Change Checkers, so don’t miss your chance to secure this pair for your collection for just £16.99 (+p&p).
Add the 2020 Isle of Man Dunkirk £2 Pair to your collection here >>
The hunt is on for the Isle of Man Wren £2 and other Manx Christmas coins!
Every Boxing Day on the Isle of Man, communities come together across the island to dance and sing in the streets around “the king of all birds“, the wren, who is paraded around on a decorative pole.
Hunt the Wren, as it is known on the island, has become one of the most popular yet more unusual Manx traditions in practice today.
Credit – Culture Vannin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The practice dates back to Pagan times and is thought to have descended from Celtic mythology and may have been influenced by Scandinavian Viking settlers during the 8th and 10th centuries.
Historically groups of boys dressed up in straw outfits, known as ‘wren boys’ would gather on St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day) to hunt a sacred wren bird. They would then tie the bird to the top of a decorative pole and visit different houses, singing to receive money or presents for their display. Those who were generous and gave money to the boys would receive a feather from the bird as a thank you, and the collected money was used to host a village dance later in January.
Credit – oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com
Today the Hunt the Wren tradition is still a popular part of the islands seasonal festivities, and many communities come together to dance and raise money for charity. A replica of a wren is used nowadays instead of harming any real birds, and ribbons which are used to decorate the pole are handed out as good luck instead of the bird feathers.
This unusual community tradition is so special on the Isle of Man that it has been celebrated on a brand new £2 coin and only a limited number of these coins will enter circulation on the island.
This brand new £2 coin has been issued by The Isle of Man this festive season to celebrate the Manx tradition ‘Hunt the Wren’.
But it’s not the first time that the Hunt the Wren tradition has been celebrated on a coin, it was also featured on a 50p coin 24 years ago in 1994.
Credit – numista.com The Hunt the Wren 50p was issued in 1994 and features two young boys with a pole.
So to celebrate this new festive coin release from the Isle of Man, what better reason is there to take a look back at some of the festive designs issued on Isle of Man coinage over the years.
Here are a few of our favourites which show off how exciting Isle of Man coinage can be…
Just yesterday, the UK Royal Mint issued the first ever Christmas themed 50p coin to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the publication of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale The Snowman™. And it’s safe to say the demand for the much anticipated coin has been overwhelming. It has been so popular in fact that the Silver Proof and Gold versions of the coin have already completely SOLD OUT.
But the Isle of Man have been way ahead of the UK and have already issued a few 50p coins over the years featuring the much-loved children’s character the Snowman. Issued in 2003, the first coin to feature the Snowman and James, the hero of the story, holding hands and dancing had a tiny mintage of just 10,000. Although not many of these coins are available on the secondary market, if you did want to add one to your collection, you’d be looking at parting with a minimum of £200!
The 2003 Snowman 50p from the Isle of Man is in high demand on the secondary market. Credit: eBay
The same design was issued in 2008 although these coins were not struck for general circulation. Fast forward to 2014 and the coin features the Snowman and James hugging with a Christmas tree in the background. As we already know, this coin regularly sells for 80 times its face value on secondary market selling sites such as eBay.
The 2014 Isle of Man 50p regularly sells for 80 times its face value. Credit: eBay
The Isle of Man have issued a wide range of Christmas themed 50ps over the last 40 years and it’s safe to say that any of these festive 50p coins would definitely be an envious addition to anyone’s collection. The mintages for Isle of Man festive 50ps have never exceeded 30,000 most likely due to the island having a population of less than 85,000 so it’s no wonder the coins are so sought-after.
The Isle of Man have issued a wide range of Christmas themed 50ps over the years. Credit: Numista and Coin Update
Let us know your favourite design ever issued on a festive coin and whether you’ve been able to add it to your collection.
Own the first Festive £2 coin from the Isle of Man
You can add the 2018 Isle of Man Hunt the Wren £2 coin to your collection here >>
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The race is on for two BRAND NEW 2018 International Isle of Man TT £2 coins
Each year during May and June, the Isle of Man proudly hosts the International Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle event.
Since its inaugural race in 1907, the event has traditionally been a time-trial and is known by motoring enthusiasts world-wide as the ultimate road race.
This year, over 45,000 motorcycle racing fanatics from around the world are set to make their way to the Isle of Man to be in the heart of the action as they watch the unforgettable TT races.
‘Mike the Bike’ – Mike Hailwood, 14 time winner of the Isle of Man TT. Credit: www.motorcyclenews.com
Commemorating motoring legend, ‘Mike the Bike’
2018 celebrates 60 years since fan favourite, ‘Mike the Bike’ first raced the International Isle of Man TT and 40 years since he returned to the event.
Mike Haliwood secured 14 Isle of Man victories during his racing career and his triumphant return to the TT has been described as ‘one of the most emotional moments of 20th century sport’.
To mark this special anniversary year, two £2 coin designs have been officially licensed by the Isle of Man TT with the support of the Mike Haliwood foundation which promotes the TT Races and attracts new riding talent to the meeting.
Only 3,000 of each coin to enter circulation on the Isle of Man
The designs for the 2018 Isle of Man TT £2 coins reference the motorcycle races and Mike Hailwood’s legendary Ducati.
These limited edition £2 coins will be found on the Isle of Man, with only 3,000 entering circulation.
The 2015 Isle of Man TT 50p sold for £500 on eBay. Credit: express.co.uk
In 2015, an Isle of Man TT 50p was released and proved to be extremely popular with collectors, with one selling for £500 on eBay earlier this year.
Due to the popularity of the previous TT coin, we expect that these £2 will be very sought-after by collectors.
And, with only a very limited number entering circulation on the Isle of Man, Isle of Man based Change Checkers are sure to become the envy of collectors everywhere!
Secure your BRAND NEW 2018 International Isle of Man TT £2 coins!
We are delighted to offer these very sought-after coins in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £15.99 (+£2.99p&p), so that you don’t miss out on owning these very limited Isle of Man £2 coins for your collection.