Guernsey 10 pence 1988 - Tomatoes

The coin's story

In 1985, Guernsey renewed its coins with Raphael Maklouf's crowned portrait of Elizabeth II, accompanied by the island's shield with three leopards. For the 10 pence coin, Robert Elderton engraved a truss of tomatoes, symbol of the greenhouse growing that made Guernsey prosperous in the 20th century: the island's tomatoes, grown in thousands of greenhouses, were shipped every summer to the United Kingdom. In 1988, the Royal Mint struck 300,000 pieces for circulation and 2,500 in proof. This large 28.5 mm module was demonetised on 1 July 1993, after the introduction of a smaller 10 pence coin.