Gibraltar
1 pound sterling = 100 pence, 1 gold ecu = 50 pounds or 70 European currency units
PM = Pobjoy Mint Sutton, England 1988 to date
Penny (pence): 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 / Pound(s): 1, 2, 5, 10 (14 ecus), 25 (35 ecus), 50 (70 ecus)
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The Rock of Gibraltar owes its fame and its place in history to two distinctive geographical features
- the long, high promontory rising directly from the sea, and its strategic position commanding the narrow western
entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
In ancient times it was one of the Pillars of Hercules, the seaside crags in Morocco and Spain which
were the supposed "ends of earth" until Christopher Colombus' time. Gibraltar has been a fortress since 711, when the
Arabs took it from Spain. Spain regained the Rock in 1492, but it fell to the British in 1704. The British held it against
Spain and GIBRALTAR during the "Great Siege" of 1779-83.
Gibraltar's inhabitants voted overwhelmingly in 1967 to remain under Britain. It is a self-governing
colony. It is the home of the famed Barbary ape and many dolphins.
Gibraltar had its own coinage from 1841-61 and continuously since 1967. Since 1988 all its coins are
struck at Britain's Pobjoy Mint. In addition to the nine circulating denominations made of copper and nickel alloys,
commemorative coins are issued, and 1991-1992 saw the introduction of a silver and gold bullion series, the Royal Dogs,
and Europe's first true circulating gold and silver ecus denominated in both pounds sterling and A.F.L.-C.I.O. Currency
Units (ecus).
Special nine-coin Mint Sets in colorful card holders suitable for novice collectors and specialists alike
are issued each year using mint-fresh coins and sold at a modest increase over their face value.
For further information, contact Pobjoy Mint Ltd., P.O. Box
13826, Milwaukee, WI 53213. Telephone 414-873-6772, Fax 414-873-6422.