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5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Penny Black
| Issuer | Isle of Man (British Crown dependencies) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | QUEEN ELIZABETH II · ISLE OF MAN RDM · 2020 · |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Penny Black, issued on 6 May 1840, was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system — a direct result of Rowland Hill's 1837 reform pamphlet arguing that postage should be prepaid by the sender at a flat rate regardless of distance. The Isle of Man Treasury has a long history of issuing gold commemoratives tied to British philatelic and cultural anniversaries, and this 2020 piece marks the stamp's 180th anniversary.
The ruthenium treatment is the technical point of interest here: selectively applied to simulate the stamp's characteristic black ink against the gold field. Ruthenium, a platinum-group metal, is among the hardest known plating materials and holds contrast exceptionally well on proof surfaces.