1 Crown - Elizabeth II New York Alley Cat, Gold

The Isle of Man's long-running cat crown series launched in 1988 and quickly became one of the more commercially aggressive bullion programs of the late 1980s, issuing the same design across multiple metals and finishes within a single year. The 1990 New York Alley Cat continued that approach. Virenium, silver, and gold versions were all produced, targeting both the collector and the bullion investor simultaneously — an unusual dual-market strategy that the Pobjoy Mint executed consistently throughout the series.

The .9999 fineness places this above the standard .999 gold used by most sovereign bullion issues of the period, including the Krugerrand.