1/2 Crown - Elizabeth II Persian Cat

The Isle of Man's cat coinage series, launched in 1988, was one of the first bullion programs to use annually changing designs as a deliberate collector retention strategy — a model later imitated widely. The Persian Cat reverse was issued in 1989, the second year of the series, when the program was still establishing its secondary market footing.

Pobjoy Mint struck these under contract, and the .9999 fineness was a direct competitive response to the Canadian Maple Leaf, which had pioneered four-nines gold in 1982.