Noble (Manx coin) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Platinum Noble

Isle of Man
Value	1 Noble
Mass	31.1 g (1.0 troy oz)
Diameter	32.7 mm (1.28 in)
Thickness	2.38 mm (0.093 in)
Edge	Reeded
Composition	99.995% Pt
Years of minting	1983-2016
Obverse
Design	Queen Elizabeth II
Designer	Arnold Machin
Design date	1967
Reverse
Design	A viking ship with four birds

The Noble is a special coin from the Isle of Man. These coins are made from valuable metals like platinum, gold, or silver. They are not like the everyday money you use. Instead, they are called bullion coins. This means their value comes from how much the metal inside them is worth.

Even though they are official legal tender, they don't have a fixed price printed on them. Their worth changes with the price of platinum, gold, or silver. The Noble was the first platinum coin made for people who invest in precious metals. These coins are not made every year, but on an irregular schedule.

What are Noble Coins Made Of?

Noble coins are made from very pure metals. The platinum coins contain 99.5% pure platinum. This is known as .995 fine. Gold coins are even purer, with 99.99% gold (.9999 fine). Silver coins have 99.9% pure silver (.999 fine).

Here are some details about the different Noble coins:

Coin Design: What Do They Look Like?

Coins usually have two main sides. The front is called the obverse, and the back is called the reverse.

The Front (Obverse)

The front of the Noble coin shows a picture of Queen Elizabeth II. Around her portrait, you can read the words Isle of Man and Elizabeth II. Over the years, four different portraits of Queen Elizabeth have been used on these coins. Each portrait showed the Queen at a different age.

The Back (Reverse)

The back of the coin features a viking ship sailing on the water. You can also see four birds flying around the ship. Below the ship, there are small letters that tell you what metal the coin is made of, its size, and how pure the metal is. The design is surrounded by a detailed border. This border looks like a Viking knit pattern. At the very top, above the ship's flag, you can see the island's special symbol, the triskele. This symbol looks like three legs joined together.

History of the Noble Coin

Platinum coins have been around for a long time. The first ones were made in Russia between 1828 and 1845. For many years after that, only a few special commemorative coins were made. Then, in the 1970s, the Isle of Man started making platinum coins more regularly.

The Isle of Man has worked with different private companies to make their Noble coins. The English Pobjoy Mint made them from 1983 to 2016. In 2017, a company called Coin Investment Trust (CIT) in Liechtenstein made them. The 2018 coins were made by the English Tower Mint.

Special Noble Coins

Over the years, some unique Noble coins have been created:

• In 1996, a platinum Noble was made with a special sail on the Viking ship. This sail was a patterned hologram, which was a new idea for coins.
• A special coin was made in 1995 that had two different metals. It was a one-quarter ounce coin with a gold ring and a platinum center.
• In 2009, another two-metal coin was made. This one was a one-ounce coin with a silver ring and a gold center.
• A one-ounce coin made of palladium (another precious metal) was released in 2012.
• Some very large platinum coins were also made. In 1986 and 1988, 26 five-ounce platinum coins and 15 ten-ounce platinum coins were released each year.
• The silver coins from 2017 and 2018 were available in two different finishes: proof and reverse proof. These finishes make the coins look extra shiny and detailed.

See also

• Angel (Manx coin)
• Bullion
• Bullion coin
• Gold as an investment
• Inflation hedge
• Noble (English coin)
• Platinum as an investment
• Silver as an investment