Posts Tagged ‘British Isles Coins’
The Isle of Man TT returns! New £2 coin issued to celebrate
The Isle of Man TT races, an annual tradition since 1907, returns this year. Riders and spectators from around the world will travel to the island for what has been nicknamed ‘the most dangerous race in the world’.
It’s become somewhat of a tradition for the Isle of Man to issue coins to commemorate the TT races each year. 2023 is no exception, as this year we’ll see a brand new Isle of Man £2, issued to mark 100 years since the sidecar entered the races.
But the most exciting news for collectors is that it’ll be the FIRST EVER King Charles III TT £2 coin!
The design
In 1923, the first Sidecar was introduced to the TT races. This meant both racer and passenger could take part in the ‘Ultimate Road Race’. The design shows an incredibly detailed depiction of the Sidecar riding through Parliament Square on the Isle of Man.
For the first time ever on an Isle of Man TT coin, the obverse features King Charles III’s effigy. Since the first King Charles III coin was issued last year, we’ve seen demand for new UK coins soar. With every Isle of Man TT coin since 1981 having featured Queen Elizabeth II, this change is sure to catch the eye of collectors wanting to add a highly collectable issue to their collection.
Entering circulation
Previous Isle of Man TT coins have always been popular with both collectors and motor enthusiasts. This is due to their small mintages compared to their UK counterparts and the fact that they sometimes crop up in UK coinage. Although Isle of Man coins aren’t legal tender in the UK, there is a chance you could spot one in your change.
And excitingly, a 15,000 2023 Isle of Man TT £2 coins will be released into circulation on the island. So it’s time to beat the crowds and add this coin to your collection now >>
Numismatic history of the TT races
The first Isle of Man TT coin was a 50p issued in 1981, and a new TT 50p has been released most years since. The TT 50ps, along with other denominations have proved incredibly popular amongst collectors and motoring enthusiasts alike, with some selling for hefty amounts on the secondary market.
Here are a few of our favourite Isle of Man TT coins.
2022
After a 2 year break due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the TT races returned in 2022 and two new £2 coins were issued to celebrate.
One of the coins featured the iconic TT Grandstand which marks the start and end of the race. The other represented the TT race marshals, most of whom are usually volunteers or motorsports enthusiasts.
A Crown coin was also issued in celebration of the event. It featured the official TT logo in front of the race route map and a chequered flag background.
2019
In 2019, the Isle of Man released two £2 coins marking 112 years since the first TT race in 1907.
The reverse designs features legendary rider, Steve Hislop, racing the Tourist Trophy track.
Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop is an 11 time winner of the notorious Tourist Trophy races. His extraordinary racing career has cemented him as a hero of the TT mountain circuit.
2018
These coins were issued in 2018 to celebrate racing legend Mike Hailwood. 2018 marked 60 years since his first TT race and 40 years 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.
1998
Another famous race that takes place annually on the island, is the Rally Isle of Man.
The Rally Isle of Man – previously known as The Manx Trophy Rally – was first held in 1963 and became a well known event in the British Open Rally Championship.
In 1998, the Isle of Man released the Isle of Man Car Circulation £2 coin featuring three old-style race cars on the track.
1981
The first Isle of Man TT 50p issued in 1981 features famous motorcyclist Joey Dunlop.
Only 5,000 coins of this design were struck. Were you lucky enough to find this in your change on the Isle of Man? Let us know in the comments below!
Do you have any Isle of Man TT races coins in your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the 2023 Isle of Man TT Races £2 Coin for your collection!
Your 2023 Isle of Man TT £2 Coin has been struck to a Superior Brilliant Uncirculated condition and is carefully encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging.
We only have a small initial allocation, so now’s the time to join the race to secure your 2023 Isle of Man TT £2, whilst stocks last!
The Isle of Man TT is back! Brand new coin collection JUST issued!
The Isle of Man TT (or Tourist Trophy) races have been an annual tradition on the island since the first one in 1907 and attract riders and spectators from around the globe.
The races are coined as one of the most dangerous races in the world, known to motoring enthusiasts as the ‘Ultimate Road Race’.
Credit: Christof Berger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The races have taken place annually since 1907, only ever cancelled during wartime, the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic.
But this year, the Isle of Man TT races return, with their 101st event!
To celebrate their return after 2 cancelled years, the Isle of Man have issued a collection of brand new coins!
The 2022 Isle of Man TT £2 Coin Pair
The first design features the iconic TT Grandstand which marks the start and end of the race!
The original 1920s wooden Grandstand structure was demolished in 1986 and replaced with a new and improved Grandstand complex, complete with wider lanes, a race communications tower, and seating.
The second £2 coin features a representation of a volunteer TT races marshal waving the chequered flag.
Most TT marshals are volunteers and often motorsports enthusiasts themselves, meaning they can get a little closer to the action, whilst keeping spectators and riders safe.
Previous Isle of Man TT coins have always been a hit with collectors and excitingly 15,000 of each will be released into circulation on the island.
However, with such small mintages compared to their UK counterparts and the fact that they are not legal tender in the UK, you’d have to be incredibly lucky to find one in your change…
Your Isle of Man TT £2 Coin Pair has been struck to a Superior Brilliant Uncirculated condition and carefully encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging.
We only have a small initial allocation, so now’s the time to join the race to secure your Isle of Man TT £2 coins, whilst stocks last!
Click here to own yours for just £25 (+p&p) >>
The 2022 Isle of Man TT Crown Coin
As the excitement builds for the return of the races this year, the Isle of Man have also released a NEW Crown Coin in celebration of the event!
The design features the official TT logo with the outline of the iconic TT race route map, surrounded by a laurel wreath, signifying victory, against a checkered flag background.
What’s more, due to the complexity of the design, this coin features a frosted Brilliant Uncirculated finish to highlight the exquisite detail.
As with the £2 coins, we only have a small initial allocation, so you’ll have to pip the thousands of interested collectors to the post to secure yours.
Secure yours here for JUST £14.99 (+p&p) >>
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.
Were you lucky enough to find this in your change on the Isle of Man? Let us know in the comments below!
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.
These coins were issued in 2018 to celebrate 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 2019, the Isle of Man released two £2 coins marking 112 years since the first TT race in 1907.
The reverse designs feature legendary rider, Steve Hislop, racing the Tourist Trophy track.
Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop is an 11 time winner of the notorious Tourist Trophy races. His extraordinary racing career has cemented him as a hero of the TT mountain circuit.
Another famous race that takes place annually on the island, this time for cars, is the Rally Isle of Man.
The Rally Isle of Man – previously known as The Manx Trophy Rally – was first held in 1963 and became a well known event in the British Open Rally Championship.
In 1998, the Isle of Man released the Isle of Man Car Circulation £2 coin featuring three old-style race cars on the track. There are now less than 50 of these remaining, secure yours HERE!
Do you have any Isle of Man TT races coins in your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the Isle of Man TT Races £2 Coin Pair for your collection!
Your Isle of Man TT £2 Coin Pair has been struck to a Superior Brilliant Uncirculated condition and carefully encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging.
We only have a small initial allocation, so now’s the time to join the race to secure your Isle of Man TT £2 coins, whilst stocks last!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (oh yes it is!)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Guernsey release a brand new set of Christmas Pantomime 50p coins!
These fantastic new coins feature designs based on five beloved Pantomimes which are sure to take you to a whole new world as you experience the magic of the theatre brought to life on a 50p coin.
Complete BU Set
Whilst 4,000 of each design will be entering circulation, they will only be released in Guernsey and you can bet your bottom dollar that any lucky Guernsey Change Checkers coming across these coins will be sure to hold on to them.
Unfortunately we don’t all have a Fairy Godmother who can wave a magic wand and make these coins appear in our UK change (but wouldn’t that be nice!).
However, the complete set is now available to purchase in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.
Authorised by the Guernsey Treasury and fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen, the set includes some of the most loved pantomime themes:
- Aladdin
- Cinderella
- Snow White
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Dick Whittington
Silver Proof Set
But that’s not all… As if by magic, these coins have been brought to life in vibrant colour for the Silver Proof Pantomime 50p coin set.
Each beautiful coin is struck from Solid Silver and features selective colour printing to capture the fun of the theatre.
Only 2,019 of the Guernsey Silver Christmas Pantomime 50p sets are available and we all know how quickly Silver 50p coins sell out – the Silver Gruffalo 50p sold out within the first day of launch and had an edition limit of 25,000!
This stunning set is now available to purchase here.
The first Guernsey Christmas coins
Did you know that Guernsey has never released a Christmas coin before? This is bound to make these Christmas Panto 50ps particularly special for coin collectors.
However it’s fair to say that Christmas themed coins make an envious addition to anyone’s collection, with the numerous festive 50ps from the Isle of Man proving to be incredibly popular.
One of the most-loved Christmas themes to feature on a coin has got to be the Snowman.
In 2003, the first coin to feature the Snowman was issued by the Isle of Man and 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 Snowman has since featured on a number of Isle of Man Christmas coins, and even made his first appearance on a UK coin last year.
Just 20,000 issued for circulation
With such a wonderful Christmas theme and the fact that just 4,000 of each Panto 50p will initially be released into circulation in Guernsey, these coins are sure to follow in the Snowman’s footprints and be incredibly sought-after.
But it’s not just the theme which makes these coins so special…
Mintage figures for Isle of Man 50ps have never exceeded 30,000, and as the new Guernsey coins have a combined mintage of just 20,000 I’m sure you’ll agree that they are bound to be hugely collectable!
Guernsey mintage figures are known for being much smaller than the UK, which is down to their much smaller population of just over 63,000.
Vote for your favourite!
Pantomime has a long theatrical history and is especially popular during the festive period. So now it’s time to get the show started and celebrate with the fantastic new Christmas Pantomime 50p set from Guernsey.
We’d love to hear which of these coins is your favourite, so let us know by voting in the poll below!
Secure your Brilliant Uncirculated Christmas Pantomime Set
Celebrate the Christmas season with five brand new Brilliant Uncirculated Pantomime 50ps from Guernsey.