Isle of Man

Isle of Man ½ sovereign 1978 - Viking warrior

Two years after the switch to the decimal system, the Isle of Man launched in 1973 its own series of gold sovereigns, struck by the Pobjoy Mint, a private workshop from Surrey founded in 1965 by Derek Pobjoy. These coins follow the standard of the British sovereign: 22-carat gold (0.917), or about 3.65 g of fine gold for the half-sovereign. They are not intended to circulate, but are sold to collectors, in normal quality and in proof. The reverse shows a warrior in armor on horseback, with the shield of the three legs, the Manx triskelion, which recalls the Viking past of the island. After the 13,539 specimens of 1973, the mintages drop quickly: in 1978, only 1,250 half-sovereigns are struck, one of the smallest mintages of the series. The type remains in production until 1983; from 1984 onwards, the Pobjoy Mint strikes another gold coin for the island, the angel. The Pobjoy Mint works for the Isle of Man until 2016 and closes its doors in 2023.