50 Pence - Elizabeth II Christmas 1996, Gold Proof

Pobjoy Mint produced this issue for the Isle of Man, which has historically used the 50 pence denomination as a vehicle for annual themed gold proofs in a way no other territory under the British Crown has pursued so consistently. The Christmas series, running from the 1970s onward, was a deliberate commercial program rather than a monetary necessity — these pieces were struck for the collector market from the outset and saw no circulation whatsoever.

The 26g gold proof format places this among the heavier entries in the annual series.