Catalog
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| Issuer | Isle of Wight Council |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The arms of the Isle of Wight occupy the central field, depicting a shield charged with a castle and anchors, supported by a horse dexter and a sea-horse sinister, surmounted by a mural crown. A scroll below the shield bears the motto ALL ITS BEAUTY IS OF GOD. The entire armorial composition is framed by a prominent toothed or cog-wheel border, evoking civic industry. The legend ISLE OF WIGHT arcs along the upper periphery inside the border, while the date 1996 appears at the base. |
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| Obverse lettering | ISLE OF WIGHT 1996 |
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| Additional information |
The Isle of Wight Council is not a sovereign authority, which makes this piece legally a local token rather than a coin — it circulated as a novelty souvenir tied to the island's twinning relationships with European municipalities. The ECU denomination was a calculated affectation: by 1996, the ECU existed only as a currency unit for financial settlements between EU member states, never as physical coinage for public circulation. Pairing it with a pound equivalent gave the piece a foot in both camps without belonging to either.