Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1/25 Crown - Elizabeth II Long-haired Smoke Cat
| Issuer | Isle of Man Treasury |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/25 Crown |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Right-facing crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, modeled by Raphael David Maklouf, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara and a pearl necklace with pendant drop. The truncation of the neck is visible at the lower field, with the Pobjoy Mint initials 'PM' incuse below. The legend 'ELIZABETH II' arcs along the left rim and 'ISLE OF MAN · 1997' along the right, all in raised Latin characters against a smooth field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A finely engraved Long-haired Smoke cat rendered in high relief occupies the central field, depicted facing left in a three-quarter seated pose with its luxuriant, flowing coat rendered in meticulous detail through fine line engraving. A swirling plume of smoke or cloud motif rises in the upper right field, while small decorative elements appear in the lower left. The Pobjoy Mint shield privy mark is positioned in the upper field above the cat, with an additional mint mark to the right. A horizontal ground line separates the central design from the exergue, where the denomination inscription 'Au. 1/25 oz.' appears above the bold legend 'CROWN' along the lower rim. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Isle of Man's cat coinage program, running continuously from 1988, became one of the more commercially calculated bullion series of the late twentieth century — annual design changes were a deliberate strategy to drive collector demand rather than any numismatic tradition. The 1/25 Crown denomination in this format was aimed squarely at the fractional gold market that expanded sharply after the success of the Gold Eagle and Krugerrand fractions in the mid-1980s.
The Long-haired Smoke is a color variant of the Persian breed, recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association — its inclusion in the series reflects the program's methodical rotation through pedigreed breeds.