22020 Isle of Man £5 1-oz Gold Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proof NGC PF69UC First Day of Issue w/Maklouf Signature & Custom Label

After 30 Years, the Isle of Man’s Penny Black Coins Return for a New Generation

Great Britain’s Penny Black stamp was the first postage stamp ever issued in the world. The landmark one-penny stamp was created by Sir Roland Hill in 1840 and featured a profile of Queen Victoria including her delicate crown and a fine filigree on the borders. To commemorate the stamp’s 180th anniversary in 2020, the Isle of Man released special commemorative coins that not only pay tribute to the important milestone in philatelic history, but also mark the 30th anniversary of one of the world’s most popular coin series.

Among those coins is this fabulous legal-tender £5 proof coin struck in a full ounce of highly pure 99.9% fine gold. It features the same mouthwatering design of the original Penny Black coins issued by the Isle of Man to worldwide acclaim 30 years ago. With its Ultra High Relief details and black Ruthenium finish, this new release is a worthy successor to the celebrated Penny Black coins that took the world by storm in the early 1990s.

The original 1990 Penny Black coin commemorated the 150th anniversary of the world’s first postage stamp. It showed a design of the 1840 Penny Black stamp complete with its portrait of a young Queen Victoria, who was just 21 at the time and was in only the third year of her reign. The coin was met with immediate and complete adulation, winning not one but THREE Coin of the Year Awards: Best Crown, Most Innovative Coin and the top award The Coin of the Year.

The Coin of the Year (COTY) awards are considered by many numismatists to be the “Academy Awards” for coins. The annual competition recognizes outstanding coins designs from hundreds of coins submitted from around the world. The judging is done by a panel of coin experts from mints, publications, museums, major numismatic organizations and prominent collectors. Even a nomination for this award is an honor and something that gets serious attention of collectors.

Your 2020 Isle of Man One-Ounce Gold Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proof has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in near-perfect Proof-69 Ultra Cameo (PF69UC) condition, a distinction that means your almost-flawless proof will showcase an impressive full strike and indistinguishable imperfections — well above and beyond the quality of the vast majority of coins in the series. In addition, NGC has certified that this proof is a First Day of Issue (FDI) coin, meaning it was received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository by the release date or on the business day within 24 hours of the official release date. As an added feature, each coin available in this offer will be sonically sealed in an acrylic holder with a custom Penny Black label personally signed by British sculptor Raphael Maklouf, the designer of the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II that appears on the coin’s obverse!

These fabulous coins were struck by the prestigious Tower Mint, one of the United Kingdom’s leading private mints and last remaining mint in London. Founded in 1976 by acclaimed sculptor Raphael Maklouf, who is famous for his effigy of Queen Elizabeth II that was featured on many British Commonwealth coins from 1985-1997, the Tower Mint is the official striking mint for all the Isle of Man’s circulating and commemorative coins.

Just 500 of these exquisite proofs will be minted for worldwide release. So, don’t wait; get one of the first coins struck in the heavily anticipated 2020 Isle of Man One-Ounce Gold Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proof release while they’re still available!

• SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE – This coin pays tribute to the 30th Anniversary of the Isle of Man’s award-winning Penny Black Stamp coin and the 180th Anniversary of the first postage stamp. It is struck in Ultra High Relief to accentuate every detail of the design and is augmented with a Ruthenium finish to add a black coloration.
• STRUCK IN HIGHLY PURE GOLD – Each of these 2020 Isle of Man Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proofs was struck in a full ounce of highly pure 99.9% gold and measures 32.7 mm in diameter.
• LEGAL-TENDER COIN RELEASE – These 2020 Isle of Man One-Ounce Gold Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proofs are £5 (5 pounds) legal tender on the Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown dependency located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland.
• NEAR-PERFECT PROOF CONDITION – Your 2020 Isle of Man One-Ounce Gold Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proof has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in near-perfect Proof-69 Ultra Cameo (PF69UC) condition.
• KEY FIRST DAY OF ISSUE CERTIFICATION – NGC has certified that this proof is a First Day of Issue (FDI) coin, independent authentication that it was released by the mint during the premier day of the series’ issue.
• SIGNED BY THE DESIGNER—This coin will come in an acrylic holder with a custom Penny Black label that has been signed by Raphael Maklouf, the designer of the Queen Elizabeth II effigy that appears on the coin’s obverse.
• LOW LIMITED EDITION – The worldwide limited edition for the 2020 Isle of Man One-Ounce Gold Penny Black Ultra High Relief Proof has been set at just 500.

After 30 years, the Isle of Man’s Penny Black Coin returns for a whole new generation. If you were fortunate to have secured coins from the original release, this is an opportunity that you can’t pass up. It’s also a wonderful award-winning design to add to any collection! Secure yours now!

For more information, click here: https://www.govmint.com/pennyblack