Posts Tagged ‘TT coins’
Our Top 10 Coins from the Isle of Man
Are you a collector of Isle of Man coinage?
The island has released some truly beautiful coins in recent years, and as their mintage figures are typically much lower than UK coins, they are often highly sought-after by collectors…
The recent release of a second Christmas themed £2 coin has got everyone at Change Checker HQ talking, and so in this blog I’ve decided to take a look at some of our favourite Isle of Man coins!
1) 2019 Santa £2
The Isle of Man is renowned for their Christmas themed coins.
Traditionally the island release Christmas themed 50ps most years, however last year an incredibly popular Christmas £2 coin was released for the very first time, and this has now been followed by a second £2 this Christmas.
This year’s magical design features an enchanting portrait of Old St. Nick and bears the inscription ‘Nollick Ghennal’ which is Manx for ‘Merry Christmas’.
At the top of the coin, the distinctive Isle of Man Triskelion (three armoured legs) can be seen.
2) 2019 Peter Pan Set
This year, collectors were swept off their feet by this set of 6 commemorative Peter Pan 50p coins.
These are the very first coins to feature ‘the boy who never grew up’ and the set has been issued to commemorative the 90th anniversary of Peter Pan author, JM Barrie, gifting the rights to the story to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The first coin in the series features an engraving of Peter Pan from David Wyatt’s illustration from the Oxford University Press edition and includes the iconic quote from the book, ‘Second to the right and straight on till morning’.
25,000 of each design entered circulation, but only on the Isle of Man so you’d be incredibly lucky if you managed to come across one in your UK change!
3) 2017 Triskelion £5 Coin
This £5 coin from 2017 features the Triskelion (three armoured legs) which is arguably the most recognised symbol of the island (featured on both the coat of arms and the flag).
The Isle of Man is the only country that circulates £5 coins, which means you could actually spend this coin in shops on the island!
But if you were lucky enough to have one I doubt you’d want to spend it, as it’s so unusual to have a circulation £5 coin in your change!
The coin is reasonably light when compared to our UK £5 coins. In fact, its size is 6mm smaller than the traditional UK commemorative £5 coins – so light enough to carry in your pocket!
4) 2003 Christmas 50p: The Snowman
2003 marked the very first time The Snowman featured on circulating coinage.
The Isle of Man released a limited-edition coin to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the ‘The Snowman’ by Raymond Briggs.
Only 10,000 of these coins were ever minted, which makes it incredibly sought-after. In fact, this coin sells for well over face value on the secondary market, often fetching more than £200!
Since 2003, the Snowman has featured on a number of Isle of Man Christmas coins, and has even made two appearances on UK coins, which have been incredibly popular with collectors.
5) 1997 TT Races 50p
This highly sought-after 50p commemorates the 1997 TT races on the island – 90 years since the very first race in 1907.
The Isle of Man has become synonymous with the legendary TT races and each year since 1981 coins have been issued on the island to celebrate the occasion.
The 1997 coin celebrates eleven-time TT race winner Philip McCallen and is one of the most popular TT 50ps released by the Isle of Man.
Whilst there are many Isle of Man TT 50p coins in circulation, this isn’t the only denomination issued for the event…
6) 2018 TT £2 pair
£2 coins such as these have also been issued to celebrate the Isle of Man TT races.
These particular coins from 2018 mark 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. They were officially licensed by the Isle of Man TT & Mike Haliwood foundation.
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’.
Only 3,000 of each coin entered circulation on the Isle of Man, making them very hard to come by and practically impossible to find in your UK change.
7) 2011 Tosha Cat £2
In 2018, this coin caused a stir on Facebook coin groups and was even voted ‘Coin of the Year’ by the coin collecting community.
The £2 was actually issued in 2011 to commemorate the fourth Commonwealth Youth Games, held on the Isle of Man for the very first time.
However the coin seemed to be overlooked for the next 7 years until it piqued the interest of collectors on Facebook and prices on the secondary market started to skyrocket!
Sold prices for the coin vary and buyers must beware of fakes, however in some cases you’d be looking at parting with over £100 to get hold of one.
8) 2017 Round £1
In 2017, when the UK welcomed the brand new 12-sided £1 coin, the Isle of Man confirmed they would be keeping the familiar round pound coin – making them the only British Isles country to do so.
However, their round pound was to feature a complete redesign. It now featured a Falcon and a Raven which are symbolically associated with the Island and feature on the Coat of Arms.
The new round pound features Jody Clark’s sixth effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which also features on coins from Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries.
You might recognise the portrait from the £5 coin mentioned earlier as both look fairly unusual due to the inclusion of the Queen’s shoulders on the design.
9) 1978 Definitive £1
When it comes to pound coins, the Isle of Man were ahead of the game…
In fact, the world’s first base-metal circulating £1 was actually issued on the Isle of Man – five years ahead of the first £1 coin issued in mainland Britain.
It features the Three Legs of Man against a map of the island on the reverse and was issued as part of the Isle of Man £1 coin series.
These old style £1 coins were withdrawn from circulation in 1983, but would certainly make for an interesting addition to any collection.
10) 1990 ‘Penny Black’ Crown
In 1990, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first postage stamp – the ‘Penny Black Stamp’ – the Isle of Man released this striking Crown coin.
The coin features an image of the stamp which was designed by Henry Corbould in 1840, showing the profile of the young Queen Victoria.
Struck in ‘pearl black’ Copper-Nickel, this highly innovative coin was awarded with three Coin of the Year Awards – Best Crown, Most Innovative Coinage and overall Coin of the Year.
A reissued version of this coin was struck in 2015 to celebrate the 175th anniversary.
Do you collect British Isles coinage and are you luck enough to have any of these beautiful Isle of Man coins in your change? Let us know in the comments below!
Celebrate the festive season with the BRAND NEW 2019 Isle of Man Christmas Santa £2 coin
The 2019 Isle of Man Christmas Santa £2 coin is a truly unique festive addition to any collection this Christmas season, or could even make the perfect Christmas gift or stocking filler for a friend or relative!
Click here to secure yours in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
Relive a history of racing action with the Isle of Man TT coins!
This year, two brand new Isle of Man £2 coins were released for the special anniversary year of the Isle of Man TT, commemorating racing legend Mike Hailwood’s 60th year since his first TT race and 40th year since his triumphant return.
The coins have proved incredibly popular among collectors and motoring enthusiasts alike, which is a common theme from the previous TT coins, some of which have sold for £500 on eBay!
So all this has got us interested in the history of the TT coins and some of the most popular ones you could find in your change.
Where it all began
The Tourist Trophy first started in 1907 and has been celebrated with coin issues since 1981 when the first Isle of Man TT 50p was released.
This coin featured famous motorcyclist Joey Dunlop within the traditional sprigs framing the coin.
Only 5,000 coins of this design were struck and it can be found selling on eBay well above face value.
1981 Joey Dunlop Isle of Man TT 50p. Credit: eBay
Not just 50ps
Since then, there have been 50ps released to mark the event on most years, as well as a selection of crowns and a special commemorative £5 coin in 2017 to commemorate 110 years of the TT.
This coin featured the Roman God, Mercury, the Winged God of the Messengers. It can also be found for more than face value on eBay, with some sellers including the official Isle of Man TT packaging.
2017 £5 Isle of Man TT in official packaging. Credit: eBay
Isle of Man TT Crowns
Design
The common theme among each coin design is of course the iconic motorcycle, synonymous with the TT event. A range of famous bikes have featured on the coins, including Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and this year the Ducati.
The 50p coins are framed by the traditional sprigs and some feature the official TT logo, whilst other simply have the words ‘TT’ inscribed upon them.
Which design is your favourite?
Isle of Man TT 50ps
Popular TT coins
Isle of Man 50p coins are not legal tender in the UK. They are only released into circulation on the Isle of Man, and often with a low mintage figure, meaning they very rarely turn up in UK change.
This, along with the fact that they are themed around a hugely popular event, means that the coins often prove to be very sought-after.
Mintage figures for these coins are not easily found, meaning it is very difficult to determine which is the ‘rarest’, however it seems that one of the most popular designs is the 1997 Philip McCallen Isle Of Man TT 50p, currently listed on eBay by one seller at £745!
Of course, the actual value of this coin very much depends on its condition and how much an individual seller is willing to pay.
1997 Isle of Man TT 50p listed for £745. Credit: eBay
It’s fair to say that the Isle of Man TT coins have been, and continue to be very collectable.
The unmistakable motorbike design causes these coins to stand out from any other coin and has created a link between the world of coin collecting and the world of motorbike racing, as avid collectors and racing fanatics alike enjoy finding these striking coins.
Secure your 2018 Isle of Man TT £2 coins today!
To celebrate this special anniversary year, two new Isle of Man TT £2 coins have been released by The Royal Mint, depicting Mike Hailwood’s famous Ducati.
Order yours today >>