The Isle of Man has issued sovereign-sized pieces under its own authority since the 1970s, operating outside the constraints of Royal Mint production quotas. This 2020 release marks the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day — May 8, 1945 — the date German armed forces surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, ending nearly six years of war in Europe.
The island's wartime experience was complicated: occupied by German forces from July 1940 until liberation in May 1945, it was also home to internment camps holding civilians deemed "enemy aliens" by British authorities.
The Isle of Man has issued sovereign-sized pieces under its own authority since the 1970s, operating outside the constraints of Royal Mint production quotas. This 2020 release marks the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day — May 8, 1945 — the date German armed forces surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, ending nearly six years of war in Europe.
The island's wartime experience was complicated: occupied by German forces from July 1940 until liberation in May 1945, it was also home to internment camps holding civilians deemed "enemy aliens" by British authorities.