Isle of Man 2 pence 1986 - Peregrine Falcon

The coin's story

The Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea, is a British Crown Dependency: it is not part of the United Kingdom and strikes its own money, the Manx pound, at par with the pound sterling. Its coins are made by the Pobjoy Mint, a private mint in Surrey, whose initials PM appear on the obverse. In 1985 the island launched a new series devoted to Manx nature, with a different animal or bird for each denomination, the 2 pence coin received the peregrine falcon, designed by Leslie Lindsay and perched on an ornamental shield. The obverse bears the third portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, by Raphael Maklouf, with the so-called “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland” tiara. This type was struck only from 1985 to 1987, a small two-letter mark below the value, from AA to AE, distinguishes the different dies used.