Isle of Man 1 penny 1979 - Loaghtan Sheep

The coin's story

In 1976, the Isle of Man replaced the designs of its first decimal series with a new series in which each reverse shows the map of the island with a local subject. On the 1 penny coin, Barry Stanton engraved a Loaghtan sheep, the island's own breed. Its name comes from the Manx lugh dhoan, “mouse-brown”, the colour of its wool, and most animals carry four horns, sometimes two or six. This primitive breed came close to extinction in the mid-20th century, before being saved by the flocks established by Manx National Heritage. Coins of this type were struck by the Pobjoy Mint from 1976 to 1979, with Arnold Machin's portrait of Elizabeth II and the PM mark on the obverse. In 1979, the last year, the reverse received die letters (AA to AE for this denomination) and a small triskelion, which identify the striking dies.