Posts Tagged ‘Isle of Man’
In poll position for 2019 – brand new Isle of Man TT £2 coins released!
Last year, two Isle of Man £2 coins were released for the special anniversary year of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, and now that the legendary races are in full swing, I’m sure you’ll be just as excited as I am to hear that two brand new TT £2 coins have been issued for 2019!
These coins are particularly special, as they mark 112 years since the first TT race in 1907 and the 100th race which will take place this year, due to no races being held during war time.
The reverse designs feature legendary rider, Steve Hislop racing the Tourist Trophy track.
The obverse features Jody Clark’s new portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth II as seen on last year’s TT £2s and you might notice that this portrait looks quite different to UK coins, as the Queen’s shoulders are present in the design.
Commemorating racing hero, Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop
These coins celebrate Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop, 11 time winner of the notorious Tourist Trophy races.
Known by motoring enthusiasts world-wide as the ultimate road race, the 37.73 mile monster course takes place each year across the winding public roads on the Isle of Man.
In 1989 Hizzy rode into the history books as the first rider to lap at over 120mph! The 30th anniversary of this epic achievement has now been commemorated with two brand new coins that will enter circulation on the Isle of Man.
Hislop’s first win was in 1987, although he really stole the show in 1989 and 1991, winning three races in a week! His extraordinary racing career has cemented him as a hero of the TT mountain circuit.
Isle of Man TT numismatic history
Since the first Isle of Man TT coins were issued in 1981, they have proved incredibly popular amongst collectors and motoring enthusiasts alike, with some selling for over £700 on eBay!
The first Isle of Man TT coin was a 50p which featured famous motorcyclist Joey Dunlop and only 5,000 coins of this design were struck.
A new TT 50p has been released most years since 1981 by the Isle of Man, however commemorative £2, £5 and Crown coins have also been issued to mark the event, which just goes to show how important and incredibly popular the TT races are.
Last year the Isle of Man release two £2 coins commemorating racing legend Mike Hailwood’s 60th year since his first TT race and 40th year since his triumphant return.
Just 3,000 of each coin entered circulation on the Isle of Man and we saw unprecedented demand from collectors looking to add the coins to their British Isles collection.
In 2017 a special commemorative £5 coin was issued to celebrate 110 years of the TT. This coin featured the Roman God, Mercury, the Winged God of the Messengers.
Unusually, the coin was re-struck and re-dated in 2018, specially for collectors.
Another Isle of Man £2 coin to grip the attention of collectors isn’t actually another TT themed coin, but features three old-style cars racing and was issued in 1998 to celebrate the annual Rally, formerly known as the Manx Trophy Rally.
As with all Isle of Man coins, this coin isn’t actually legal tender in the UK, however we were lucky enough to come across this coin in our £2 coin hunt, which just goes to show why you should always be checking your change, as you never know which rare and interesting coins might turn up.
Due to the popularity of the previous motor racing themed coins, we expect that the brand new Isle of Man TT £2 coins featuring Steve Hislop will be very sought-after by collectors.
And, with just 15,000 of each design initially entering circulation on the Isle of Man, Isle of Man based Change Checkers are sure to become the envy of collectors everywhere!
Own both Isle of Man TT £2 coins!
Own the Isle of Man TT £2 coin duo in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to secure your Isle of Man TT £2 Coin Duo. Click here to secure yours.
Isle Of Man hits a six! Limited edition ICC 50p series released…
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is taking place in England and Wales this summer and to celebrate this iconic event, the Isle Of Man have issued a series of 5 officially licensed 50p coins.
Whilst the designs of these new coins will certainly be of interest to cricket fans, it’s the British Isles coin collectors out there who will be keen to secure these coins for their collection, as each design will be entering circulation on the Isle of Man…
Isle Of Man ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50p Series
In anticipation of the event, the Isle Of Man have issued this stunning series of 50p coins.
An initial strike of 12,500 of each design will enter circulation on the Isle of Man, and undoubtedly these coins will be highly collectable by both cricket fans and coin collectors alike.
The first coin features a slip catch. The slip fielder is placed behind the batsman on the off side of the field, with the aim of catching an edged ball which is beyond the wicket-keeper’s reach.
The second coin features a cover drive – considered one of the most graceful shots playable in the sport. This involves the player stroking the ball through the covers with well-timed delivery aimed at or outside the off stump.
The next coin features the Cricket World Cup official logo for 2019. This year’s logo shows the iconic ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 trophy placed in the center of the logo.
The fourth coin features a stumping. The action of stumping can only be performed by a wicket-keeper if the wicket-keeper puts down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground and not attempting a run.
The final coin features a delivery stride. The delivery stride forms part of the bowling action that results in the bowler releasing the ball in the direction of the batsman.
The obverse design of each coin features Jody Clark’s most recent effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which includes the Queen’s shoulders and the Victorian coronation necklace.
History of the ICC Cricket World Cup
Originally, the ICC was founded as the ‘Imperial Cricket Board’ in 1909 to govern international matches involving England, Australia and South Africa. By 1989 the organisation had taken up its current name and now the International Cricket Council has 105 members: 12 Full Members that play Test matches and 93 Associate Members.
Test match cricket in 1912. Credit: www.icc-cricket.com
The ICC is responsible for cricket’s major international tournaments, of course including the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which will be hosted by England and Wales from 30 May to 14 July this year.
Limited number entering circulation…
Typically, mintage figures for British Isles coins are notoriously low compared to UK figures, due to the much smaller population.
In fact, last year the Isle of Man released two hugely popular £2 coins to celebrate the TT races, with a mintage of just 3,000 coins each!
Following the popularity of the TT coins, these ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50ps have an initial mintage of 12,500 coins per design, and I’m sure Change Checkers on the Isle Of Man will be eager to hunt down this summer.
Secure all 5 Isle Of Man ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50p coins today!
The coins will only be entering circulation on the Isle of Man, but you can secure the complete set in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for your collection today!
Click here to order the Isle Of Man ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50p Set for just £30 (+p&p) >>
The top 2018 Christmas coins from around the world!
I can’t help but get a bit excited at this time of year, and now that my Change Checker Advent calendar is counting down to Christmas, I really can’t wait for the big day!
But what’s got me even more excited is to see how Santa’s little elves have been busily working away this year to release the most wonderfully festive coins in time for Christmas.
From all across the world we’ve seen renowned Mints issue beautiful Christmas coins that would take pride of place in any collection and I for one would certainly treasure forever (here’s hoping there’s one for me under the tree this year!).
I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite 2018 Christmas coins from around the world that I’d like to share with you, starting of course with the UK Nutcracker £5.
2018 UK Nutcracker £5
2018 UK Nutcracker £5
We all know that £5 coins are the ultimate collector’s piece, so I really enjoyed seeing this year’s festive £5, the Nutcracker.
The 2018 Christmas £5 coin features a magical design of an enchanting Nutcracker scene, by acclaimed engraver, Harry Brockway. According to legend, ‘Nutcracker’ represents strength and power and serves as a guardian – the perfect protector to watch over your family this Christmas time.
This is actually only the second time ever that The Royal Mint has released a Christmas £5 coin, and I’m sure that collectors will want to stay on top of this new tradition and make sure they don’t miss any of these coins for their collection, starting with last year’s Christmas Tree £5.
2018 UK The Snowman 50p
2018 UK The Snowman 50p
I love The Snowman Christmas story and so it came as no surprise to me to see that this coin was a favourite this year, with both Silver Proof and Gold versions completely SELLING OUT on the first day of issue!
Issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate the festive season, The Snowman 50p marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale and was designed by Natasha Ratcliffe to depict the boy and the snowman flying through the night sky above Brighton Pier.
The Isle of Man has previously issued Christmas 50ps featuring The Snowman and these now sell for £100’s on the secondary market, which I’m sure would have added to the collectability of this first ever UK Christmas 50p.
2018 Isle of Man Wren £2
2018 Isle of Man Hunt the Wren £2
You might be familiar with the Isle of Man Christmas 50p coins, but this Christmas a very special £2 coin has been issued featuring a festive wren design.
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, although it actually dates back to Pagan times! This year, the Boxing Day tradition has been celebrated on a £2 coin and only a limited quantity of these coins will enter circulation on the Isle of Man.
Typically, the mintages for Isle of Man coins are much lower than UK coins, with none of the previous Manx Christmas 50ps exceeding 30,000!
2018 Canada 3D Snowball Fight 50 Cents
2018 Canada 3D Snowball Fight 50 Cents. Credit: www.mint.ca
We all love a snowball fight! Chances are though that in the UK we won’t see quite as much snow (if any) this year as Canada. But don’t despair, as this wonderful Canadian 50 Cent coin allows you to bring to life the magic of a snowball fight on an innovative 3D coin!
The Royal Canadian Mint is renowned for their forward thinking technology, and this Christmas they have used lenticular printing to create artist Tony Bianco’s fun-filled design with an illusion of depth, which actually appears to move as the coin is viewed from different angles – so watch out for those snowballs!
It really put a smile on my face when I came upon this coin in my research, and with a mintage of just 20,000 I’m sure Canadian Change Checkers will be eager to add this coin to their collection.
2018 Australia Looney Tunes Christmas Star Shaped $1
2018 Australia Looney Tunes Christmas Star Shaped $1
When it comes to dressing the Christmas tree this year, I’m sure Australian Change Checkers will be thrilled with this exquisite star shaped 99.99% Pure Silver $1 coin, which comes with protective casing that can be hung as a decoration.
The Perth Mint has produced some fantastic star shaped Christmas coins over the past few years and this year’s coin is no exception. One of the best known animated characters of all time, Buggs Bunny and his girlfriend Lola are celebrated in colour printing for this vibrant and festive Looney Tunes design.
This coin is actually legal tender in Tuvalu (a small island off Australia), but I certainly wouldn’t be spending it if I found one in my stocking!
2018 New Zealand Disney Silver $1
2018 New Zealand Disney Silver $1
2018 must be the year for animated characters, as the new $1 from New Zealand features the iconic Mickey Mouse and his friends for this Disney Christmas themed 999 Fine Silver coin.
This is the fifth annual release from the New Zealand Mint and has been so incredibly popular this year that it has in fact sold out completely! Although with such an appealing theme and a very low mintage of just 10,000 this comes as no surprise to me.
Like the Australian Christmas coin, this $1 also comes in a special presentation case to be hung as a decoration – just imagine creating your very own tree filled with international Christmas coins!
I’m sure you’ll agree that wherever you are in the world, there’s something extra special about a Christmas coin which brings everyone together at this time of year. Whether or not you’re a dedicated collector, or simply enjoy Christmas collectables, these coins are impossible to resist!
Secure the perfect numismatic gift this Christmas!
With Christmas just around the corner, check out our charming selection of festive commemoratives that could make the perfect gift for friends or family, or as a special Christmas treat for yourself… we won’t tell if you don’t.