The Isle of Man's long-running cat series, launched in 1988, became one of the more commercially calculated bullion programs of the late 20th century — each year cycling through a different breed to sustain collector demand. By 2004 the series had run for over fifteen years, and the Tonkinese issue arrived at a moment when the program's novelty had long since faded into routine annual production. The Pobjoy Mint, which struck the majority of these pieces under contract, maintained consistent .9999 fineness throughout — finer than the contemporaneous Gold Sovereign.
The Isle of Man's long-running cat series, launched in 1988, became one of the more commercially calculated bullion programs of the late 20th century — each year cycling through a different breed to sustain collector demand. By 2004 the series had run for over fifteen years, and the Tonkinese issue arrived at a moment when the program's novelty had long since faded into routine annual production. The Pobjoy Mint, which struck the majority of these pieces under contract, maintained consistent .9999 fineness throughout — finer than the contemporaneous Gold Sovereign.