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Each year since 1988, the Isle of Man Government has released an annual coin depicting a different beautiful cat to the delight of cat lovers and coin collectors everywhere. As legal tender on the Isle of Man, every coin bears on its obverse a fine effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse displays a superbly detailed relief of the star feline for that year. Most of these coins are made of CuNi (Cupro Nickel) in a Brilliant Uncirculated minting, which gives them amazingly fine detail on the shiny finish. Some coins are available in one troy ounce of .999 fine Silver in a Proof quality (frosted relief on a deep mirror background). A few of the coins are also available in 1/25 and/or 1/10 troy ounce of .9999 fine Gold in an Uncirculated condition.
Each of the coins subsequent to the first coin also shows a small Manx cat in the background. The Manx cat is a breed of cat that is naturally missing its tail (one of only three breeds of "tail-less cats"), and cat experts disagree as to the exact place of origin for the Manx cat. Although it is unlikely that the Manx cat originated on the Isle of Man, this country has adopted the Manx cat as its national symbol (along with the Queen, of course). That's why every cat coin has a Manx cat appearing somewhere on it. These beautiful cat coins are extremely popular with cat enthusiasts around the world, and they would make a "purrfect" and unique gift for any cat person!
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Click on any picture or underlined link below, to go to individual cat coin pages |
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2007 Ragdoll Cat
& Kittens
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 2001 Somali Kittens |
 2000 Scottish Fold Cat |
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 1999 British Blue Cat |
 1998 Birman Cat |
 1997 Long Haired Smoke Cat |
 1996 Burmese Cat |
 1995 Turkish Cat |
 1994 Japanese Bobtail Cat |
 1993 Maine Coon Cat |
 1992 Siamese Cat |
 1991 Norwegian Forest Cat |
 1990 New York Alley Cat |
 1989 Persian Cat |
 1988 Manx Cat |
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Click on any picture above to go to individual cat coin pages
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Isle of Man
Facts 
"MAN, ISLE OF, an island in the Irish Sea, located 32 miles (51 km) east of Ireland, 30 miles (48 km) west of England, and 15 miles (24 km) south of Scotland. The length of the island is 33 miles (53 km) and it is from 6 to 12 miles (10-19 km) wide. It has an area of 221 square miles (572 sq km) and a population of 69,788 (1991). The island's inhabitants are chiefly English; the Manx, a Celtic people, made up less than half the population in 1991. The island is well watered, the principal streams being the Neb, at Peel, the Sulby, near Ramsey, and the Dhoo and Glass rivers, which form the River Douglas. Mountains extend nearly the length of the island. Financial services--primarily offshore banking, insurance policy writing, and investment fund management--are the mainstay of the island's economy. Light manufacturing and tourism are also significant. Most of the land is in farms, but farming (mainly cattle and sheep raising) contributes little to the island's income. In the ninth century the island was conquered by the Norwegians and was a Norwegian naval base. It came under Scottish control in the 13th century. Later, it passed successively to the earls of Derby, the dukes of Atholl, and the Crown. Although the United Kingdom is responsible for defense and foreign relations, and the island is considered a part of the mainland for purposes of customs duties and postal services, it is not a part of the United Kingdom. The Isle has its own legislature, system of local government, laws, and courts. The legislative body is the Court of Tynwald, which consists of the president (who is elected by the court); the Legislative Council, the upper house; and the House of Keys, a 24-member body elected by universal adult suffrage. The laws of the Tynwald require the approval of the Crown. During World War I, the island was used as a place of internment for enemy aliens. During World War II, internment camps for prisoners of war as well as for civilians were established in various parts of the island. Development as an offshore financial center began in the mid-1970's. The town of Douglas (pop. 1991, 22,214) is the capital of the island."
from Collier's Encyclopedia, 1998
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