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 have been 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]
1971-1975: Celtic cross
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1976-1979: Manx Loaghtan sheep
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1980-1983: Manx cat
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1984-1987: European shag
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1988-1995: Industry
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1996-1999: Rugby
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2000-2003: Keeill (native Manx chapel)
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2004-2016: Santon War Memorial |
1971-1975: Pair of hawking birds
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1976-1979: Manx shearwater (bird)
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1980-1983: Red-billed chough (bird)
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1984-1987: Peregrine falcon
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1988-1995: Celtic cross
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1996-1999: Cycling
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2000-2003: Manx lugger fishing boat
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2004-2016: Albert Tower, Ramsey |
1971-1975: Castle by the sea
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1976-1979: Laxey Wheel
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1980-1983: Manx Loaghtan sheep
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1984-1987: Cushag (flower)
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1988-1989: Windsurfing
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1990-1993: Windsurfing
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1996-1999: Golf
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2000-2003: Gaut's cross
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2004-2016: Tower of Refuge |
2017: Manx Shearwater |
2023: Manx Shearwater (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
1971-1975: Triskeles
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1976-1979: Triskeles with map
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1980-1983: Gyrfalcon
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1984-1987: Manx Loagthan Ram
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1988-1991: Technology on globe
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1992-1995: Triskeles
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2000-2003: St. German's Cathedral
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2004-2016: Chicken Rock lighthouse |
2017: Manx Cat |
2023: Lesser Mottled Grasshopper (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
1982-1983: Medieval Norse armoury
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1984-1987: Atlantic herring
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1988-1992: Combine harvester (no border)
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1993-1995: Combine harvester (thick border)
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1996-1999: Rallying
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2000-2003: Rushen Abbey
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2004-2016: Rushen Castle clock |
2017: Viking-era Longboat |
2023: Mountain hare (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
1971-1975: Viking longship on sea
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1976-1979: Viking longship with map
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1980-1983: Viking longship
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1984-1987: Viking longship in shield
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1988-1997: Computer age |
1979: Tynwald Day - Commemorating the millennial anniversary of Tynwald's establishment
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1981: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Joey Dunlop
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1982: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Mick Grant
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1983: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Ron Haslam
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1984: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Mick Boddice
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1994: Commemorating the centenary of the Legislative Building in Douglas, meeting place of the Tynwald
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1997–1999: Isle of Man TT races - commemorating the centenary of the island's famous TT races
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2000-2003: Pre-Norse carved cross
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2004-2016: Milner's Tower |
2017: Manx Loagthan |
2023: Peregrine Falcon (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
1999: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Leslie Graham
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2004, 2007: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Tourist Trophy
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2007: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Celebrating 100 years of races, featuring Dave Molyneux
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2009: Isle of Man TT race commemorative issue - Honda 50th Anniversary of World Championship Racing |
2000-2003: Millennium bells |
2004-2016: Tynwald Hill and St. John's chapel,
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2017: Peregrine Falcon and Raven |
2023: Grey Seal (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
2000-2003: Thorwald's cross-slab |
2004-2016: Peel Castle |
2017: Tower of Refuge |
2023: Basking Shark (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
2000-2003: St. Patrick's hymn
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2004-2016: Laxey Wheel,
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2017: Triskelion |
2023: Queen Scallop (50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust) |
The standard circulating coinage of the United Kingdom, British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories is denominated in pennies and pounds sterling, and ranges in value from one penny sterling to two pounds. Since decimalisation, on 15 February 1971, the pound has been divided into 100 (new) pence. Before decimalisation, twelve pence made a shilling, and twenty shillings made a pound.
The British decimal twenty pence coin is a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄5 of a pound. Like the 50p coin, it is an equilateral curve heptagon. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction on 9 June 1982. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used; the latest design by Jody Clark was introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008.
The British decimal fifty pence coin is a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄2 of one pound. Its obverse features the profile of the current Monarch since the coin's introduction in 1969. As of October 2022, five different royal portraits have been used.
The British decimal five pence coin is a denomination of sterling coinage worth 5⁄100 of a pound. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction on 23 April 1968, replacing the shilling in preparation for decimalisation in 1971. It remained the same size as the one shilling coin, which also remained legal tender, until a smaller version was introduced in June 1990 with the older coins being withdrawn on 31 December 1990. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008.
The British decimal ten pence coin is a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄10 of a pound. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction in 1968, to replace the florin coin in preparation for decimalisation in 1971. It remained the same size as the florin coin until a smaller version was introduced 30 September 1992, with the older coins being withdrawn on 30 June 1993. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used on the coin; the latest design by Jody Clark was introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008.
The British decimal one penny (1p) coin is a unit of currency and denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄100 of one pound. Its obverse featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction on 15 February 1971, the day British currency was decimalised until her death on 8 September 2022. A new portrait featuring King Charles III was introduced on 30 September 2022, designed by Martin Jennings. Four different portraits of the Queen were used on the obverse; the last design by Jody Clark was introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, designed by Matthew Dent, features a segment of the Royal Shield and was introduced in 2008. The penny is the lowest value coin ever to circulate in the United Kingdom.
The British decimal two pence coin is a denomination of sterling coinage equalling 2⁄100 of a pound. Since the coin's introduction on 15 February 1971, the year British currency was decimalised, its obverse has featured four profiles of Queen Elizabeth II. In 2008 the design on its reverse changed from the original depiction of a plume of ostrich feathers with a coronet to a segment of the Royal Shield.
The British one pound (£1) coin is a denomination of sterling coinage. Its obverse bears the Latin engraving ELIZABETH II D G REG F D meaning, 'Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith'. It has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the original coin's introduction on 21 April 1983. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The design on the reverse side of the current, 12-sided coin features four emblems to represent each of the nations of the United Kingdom — the English rose, the leek for Wales, the Scottish thistle, and the shamrock for Northern Ireland, also two or three oak leaves — emerging from a single 5-branched stem within a crown. In May 2022 the Royal Mint announced that the Kenyan-born artist Michael Armitage is designing a new £1 coin which will be issued in 2023 and will celebrate the "history of the UK in the 21st century".
The British crown was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄4 of one pound, or 5 shillings, or 60 (old) pence. The crown was first issued during the reign of Edward VI, as part of the coinage of the Kingdom of England.
Sterling is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound is the main unit of sterling, and the word "pound" is also used to refer to the British currency generally, often qualified in international contexts as the British pound or the pound sterling.
The pound was the currency of the Republic of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the symbol was £ The Irish pound was replaced by the euro on 1 January 1999. Euro currency did not begin circulation until the beginning of 2002.
Decimal Day in the United Kingdom and in Ireland was Monday 15 February 1971, the day on which each country decimalised its respective £sd currency of pounds, shillings, and pence.
£sd, spoken as "pounds, shillings and pence", is the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies once common throughout Europe. The abbreviation originates from the Latin currency denominations librae, solidi, and denarii. In the United Kingdom, these were referred to as pounds, shillings, and pence.
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.
The pound is the currency of Guernsey. Since 1921, Guernsey has been in currency union with the United Kingdom and the Guernsey pound is not a separate currency but is a local issue of sterling banknotes and coins, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. It can be exchanged at par with other sterling coinage and notes.
The British decimal twenty-five pence (25p) coin was a commemorative denomination of sterling coinage issued in four designs between 1972 and 1981. These coins were a post-decimalisation continuation of the traditional crown, with the same value of a quarter of a pound. Uniquely in British decimal coinage, the coins do not have their value stated on them. This is because previous crowns rarely did so. The British regular issue coin closest to the coin's nominal value is the twenty pence coin.
The pound is the currency of Jersey. Jersey is in currency union with the United Kingdom, and the Jersey pound is not a separate currency but is an issue of banknotes and coins by the States of Jersey denominated in sterling, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It can be exchanged at par with other sterling coinage and notes.
The pound is the currency of the Isle of Man, at parity with sterling. The Manx pound is divided into 100 pence. Notes and coins, denominated in pounds and pence, are issued by the Isle of Man Government.
The Saint Helenapound is the currency of the Atlantic islands of Saint Helena and Ascension, which are constituent parts of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It is fixed at parity with sterling, and so both currencies are commonly accepted and circulated within Saint Helena. It is subdivided into 100 pence.
The United Kingdom possesses a number of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean and claims a section of the Antarctic continent. These territories are St. Helena with Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the UK's claimed Antarctic territory, called the British Antarctic Territory. The official currency in these territories is either Pound sterling or a local currency that evolved from sterling and is at a fixed one-to-one parity with sterling.