TOWER MINT STRIKES NEW ISLE OF MAN COIN

It was a day of all change on Thursday the 9th March when representatives of the Treasury of the Isle of Man attended the first-strike ceremony and inauguration of the new series of circulation coinage for the self-governing Crown dependency. From the 1st April, the Tower Mint, United Kingdom, become the island’s official minter, having won a bid tendered out last year. The change of minters has been described as a new phase of coinage for the Isle of Man, one that will usher in a new era of dynamic and bold designs as well as a new circulation £5 coin.

The day was hosted by the owner of the Tower Mint, the world-renowned sculptor and artist Raphael Maklouf, who introduced his team and greeted assembled mint guests. Among them were representatives from blank suppliers, distributors, marketing, and numismatic editors and publishers. Mr. Maklouf introduced Ms. Paula Primrose, the Isle of Man’s chief accountant, as well Mr. Colin Campbell, the Isle of Man’s investment and banking manager, whose job it would be to strike the new coins. Being struck today was a new commemorative coin celebrating 150 years of the first general election of the House of Keys—the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, which took place in April 1867.

Mr. Maklouf commented further that today was a very special day not only for the Tower Mint but for the Isle of Man, who would be inaugurating a new effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II on their 2017-dated coinage. The new portrait is the work of Jody Clark, product designer and engraver at the Royal Mint. The portrait was created at the same time as the definitive, fifth portrait that has been in use on all British circulation coins since March 2015.

Left: Raphael Maklouf inspects the newly minted £1 coins
Right: Raphael Maklouf and CoinsWeekly Editor Ursula Kampmann

To read the complete article, see:
Isle of Man and the Tower Mint: First-strike ceremony for a new coin and a new relationship (http://news.coinupdate.com/isle-of-man-and-the-tower-mint-first-strike-ceremony-for-a-new-coin-and-a-new-relationship/)

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