50 Pence - Elizabeth II VE Day - O, Silver Proof

The Isle of Man has issued commemorative 50 pence pieces with considerable frequency, but the 2020 VE Day release arrived at an awkward moment — struck to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe on 8 May 1945, it was released into a country in its first COVID lockdown, meaning the public events it was meant to accompany never happened. The Manx government proceeded regardless, as did every other Crown Dependency.

KM#1674a distinguishes this proof from the base-metal circulation strike by its .925 silver composition and selective gold ink application — a finishing technique that became increasingly common in Isle of Man issues after the mid-2010s.