Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
5 New Pence - Elizabeth II Tower of Refuge, Platinum Proof
| Issuer | Isle of Man Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 1975 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM#22b, Schön#22b |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A finely detailed depiction of the Tower of Refuge, the Gothic-style fortified structure erected in 1832 upon Conister Rock near the entrance to Douglas Harbour, Isle of Man. The tower is shown rising from a rocky islet surrounded by dramatically rendered, stylized waves that fill the lower field, evoking the maritime setting of the structure. The circular legend is divided, with 'ISLE OF MAN' arcing across the upper field and 'FIVE NEW PENCE' curving along the lower portion, each separated by raised dots. The engraving, by Christopher Ironside, displays fine architectural detail in the crenellated battlements and arrow-slit windows of the tower. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Tower of Refuge series of Isle of Man decimal coinage was introduced at the 1971 decimalization, but the platinum proof variants — struck by the Pobjoy Mint — came later as part of a broader push by the Isle of Man Treasury to exploit the island's unusual fiscal autonomy for premium collector issues. Unlike the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man could issue its own coinage independently, and Pobjoy was quick to capitalize on that with exotic metal strikings unavailable from the Royal Mint. The 1975 platinum proof is among the earliest platinum circulation-denomination proofs struck for any British dependency.