1 Crown - Elizabeth II Royal Visit

The Isle of Man issued commemorative crowns with remarkable frequency through the 1980s, and Pobjoy Mint — their long-standing striking partner — produced this piece marking a royal visit to the island. Elizabeth II visited the Isle of Man in July 1989 as part of the island's millennium celebrations, marking the claimed 1,000-year anniversary of Tynwald, the Manx parliament.

Tynwald's millennium claim is contested by historians — the 979 AD date is largely symbolic — but the political will behind the 1979 and subsequent commemorative programs was real enough to sustain a decade of related issues.