1/2 Crown - Elizabeth II Manx cat

The Manx Cat bullion series launched by the Isle of Man Treasury in 1970 was one of the earliest nationally-issued gold bullion coin programs in the world, predating even the Krugerrand's widespread international distribution. The cat design rotated annually, giving each year's issue a distinct die, which drove collector demand well beyond what pure bullion buyers would sustain on their own.

The 1988 issue was struck at .9999 fineness — four-nines purity — at a time when most sovereign bullion programs still used .9167 or .9990 as their standard.