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The 50p Xmas coin market in the UK is still young and takes time to become a good and reasonable market. However, Christmas 50p coin from Gibraltar is getting a mess and slowly moving on to their £2 coin like the Isle of Man. The sooner or later collectors will go back for obtaining original ones definitely. This is the destiny of Xmas-theme related coin — failure vs. commercialisation. Firstly, the concept of a Xmas coin is no longer a potential financial instrument as it was. Because the issuer has the absolute right in control of a mintage number. What is more, collectors are being treated like milk cows. Furthermore, people can re-sell goods in hands at a higher price on a secondary market after the IPO (i.e., initial public offering) for the purpose of quick bucks where is only the stimulus driven people to do so. If you take some time to wait a bit further, all will slow down and even be collapsed in price. Collectors have not learnt from this market and events held in the past, history will repeat itself many times, website crash down after website crash down, again and again. Last, it is inconsistency in the entire GIB Xmas series. From Day 1 to date, the Gibraltar government have employed two mints, as follows:
1988 to 2003, the Pobjoy mint;
And,
2004 to 2016, the Tower mint;
And,
2017 to 2019, back to the Pobjoy mint;
And,
2020 to day, back to the Tower mint again.
The above changes lead designs of coinage and striking quality are poor over time.
However, in contrast to Christmas 50p coin from the Isle of Man, the government of the Isle of Man is doing much better. One thing you obviously see through from the IOM Xmas series is consistency, of course, 2015 not counted. At some degree, the entire IOM Xmas series is a good investment portfolio in the long run term. Sadly, the full stop has been made in 2017 by the Tynwald Court. The IOM Xmas 50p series went commercial once in 2003, they felt good, and went twice in 2008, still good, and sadly burst in 2014.
Here, you are only able to see Gibraltar Xmas 50p coin from 1988 to 2003 ONLY, due to the main constraint of data made available by the Pobjoy Mint. Let we start with 1988 first as follows:
- 1988 Gibraltar Xmas 50p UNC coin
- 1988 Gibraltar £1 Virenium Proof Coin
We have to talk about a 1988 Gibraltar £1 Virenium Proof coin when we come across the very first Gibraltar Xmas 50p coin. In theory, a die mark can be easily spotted on Xmas 50p coins made by the Pobjoy Mint. However, it has no such sign. Secondly, the very first Gibraltar Xmas 50p coin is made really poor in terms of coin quality. These coins are not classified as a Diamond Finish standard coin. Bear in mind that this is not what I am defining it, and all evidence will be merged in 1989 onwards to 2003.
After this point, you are able to see so-called Diamond Finish (DF) 50p coin from Gibraltar. Note all samples you are going to see were acquired from coin in card.
- 1989 Gibraltar Xmas 50p Diamond Finish (DF) coin
- 1990 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1991 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1992 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1993 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1994 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1995 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1996 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1997 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1998 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 1999 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
After this point, you are going to see designs are NOT nested in a wreath which means a full design on reverse.
- 2000 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 2001 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 2002 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
- 2003 Gibraltar Xmas 50p DF coin
Each year, 30,000 Gibraltar Xmas 50p coins are commissioned based on COA. The number of 30,000 is a maximum no. that the Mint is allowed to mint coins. Note the Mint itself has is a unique position in this case, because the Mint is a private limited company not any government-owned minter. From the perspective of the Pobjoy Mint, the level of a certain number of coins made is fundamentally important.
I am aware that it is only a short part of Gibraltar Xmas series from 1988 to 2020 (so far, 1993 and 2002 missing as well). The above coins illustrated are minted by the Pobjoy Mint. This is the reason that this short part exists. Xmas series either from the Isle of Man or Gibraltar are really good numismatic products in terms of design and technique. In modern time, it is hard to find such good arts designed by heart and made by modern people with no commercial intension first.
#The End