Owner Comments:
This coin was purchased on eBay in original mint packaging as part of a set. Only 500 sets were produced, but the mintage figures of the coins are as follows: 5000 Reverse Proof 1 ounce Silver Nobles and 500 Proof 1 ounce Silver Nobles. There is no indication the 5000 reverse proof coins were excluding the 500 combination sets, but it seems likely this is total mintage. This is the first 1 ounce Silver Noble produced since 2011. 2012 through 2016 had no silver mintages.
These coins are the first produced under a new contract for the Isle of Man by the Tower Mint. The previous 40+ years the Pobjoy Mint produced Manx coins, but as of April 1, 2017 the Tower Mint started its 10 year contract for the island nation. In addition to this unique fact, this is the first year Jody Clark's effigy of Queen Elizabeth II is used on the obverse. This is a different design than developed for the Royal Mint in the UK as the 5th definitive portrait and shows the Queen's shoulders facing outward, a very large necklace, a different neckline, and slightly different hairstyle. This same effigy will be on other British Overseas territories' currency such as Gibraltar.
The Tower Mint was founded in 1976 by the designer of the second, and arguably most popular, effigy of Queen Elizabeth II - Raphael Maklouf.