Isle of Man coins

[Guest Guest_geordie582_I'm_a_Guest]

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[Geordie582]

I was attempting to answer a query over on Coin People, http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=12824 when I realised that, although the Manx pound is circulated in Britain, there seems to be little information around. Does anyone know of a link to such information? Even the Pobjoy mint does not seem to recognise this particular item (the mobile phone £1).

[TomGoodheart]

Nothing I can see I'm afraid. I have one of these 1994 'coins', along with the regular three legged issue along with Guernsey and Gibraltar issues I've picked up in change.

As with all of these, they aren't legal tender in England, which is presumably why Spink's Coins of Scotland Ireland and The Islands does not list them at all. But they do circulate just because they are similar in appearance and people aren't that bothered.

My favourite change 'oddity' is a Swaziland 1 Lilangeni I was passed in change. Same size and colour as £1!

Edited December 21, 2006 by TomGoodheart

[Chris Perkins]

You remember those Kenyan coins that were the same size and shape as the old 50p? They used to turn up in vending machines from time to time too (I believe they were gold coloured).

[Peter]

I sneeked loads of these out of Kenya after my Honeymoon in 1990.

I think at the time they were less than 10p in exchange terms.

[scottishmoney]

Gees - I felt guilty about walking into Bank of Nova Scotia and buying up rolls of 10 and 25 ¢ coins to bring back to the USA and spend at par with USA coins Now with the Canadian dollar having a more favourable exchange rate to the USA dollar it is not worthwhile. Maybe I could still buy rolls of cents though.

[Chingford]

My guilty use of foriegn currency was in the earlier Eighties, whilst over in Germany, we found that

the five pence piece was the same size and thickness as the one deutche mark, and all the cigarette machines took them.

We gathered all the 5 pence pieces we could find and asked Tourists etc.., then we used them to empty the fag machines, unfortunately it was a bit obvious and only lasted a short period before we all got canned, as one of the guys emptied the machine in our billet first!

[Chris Perkins]

If the 5p's worked you could have used all the shillings back to 1947 too! I wish we still had the Deutsch Mark here, that's a fab idea. What a shame that countries seem to have wised up to that kind of thing (and technology has improved somewhat).

[Peter]

1/2ds still work in the 2p fruit machines...I know that for a fact.

I don't use my calm sea 57's mind.

[Chris Perkins]

Do the work in the nudge machines on piers and generally around coastal areas?

[Red Riley]

Do the work in the nudge machines on piers and generally around coastal areas?

I did hear once of somebody who successfully fed their gas meter with coin shaped pieces of ice. Gets a bit obvious though when the man comes round to collect the cash and all he gets is half a pint of water.

[scottishmoney]

If I could get rid of my 1/2d's as a 2P, I would be pleased as punch.

[Guest E. Dawson]

What is nudge?

[Peter]

Its best to use them in the cascade machines when you can win quality Chinese toys.

Thinking back to the amusment arcades I remember fondly getting some change and picking out Victoria or key date coins.

After decimalisation I remember there was a 2p coin grab machine which took 1/2ds.

I remember winning lots of crappy toys.

I still love the arcades....its the 1988 £1 coins or obvious forgeries I look out for now.

What is nudge?

A nudge is what you are given on a fruit machine to bring in a winning line.

The machines are all computer set up...however there are cheats (which do work)

[Chris Perkins]

Actually with 'nudge machines' I meant those cascade machines where you put one coin in and have a tiny chance of getting more than one out as the coins are shoved towards you.