Coin and medal experts and collectors from around the UK are visiting the island.

The British Association of Numismatic Societies (BANS), the body representing all the local British coin and medal groups, is holding its annual meeting in the island from Friday to Sunday (April 5 to 7).

The programme includes a series of free public lectures.

Friday: Dr Kristin Bernholdt-Collins will speak on the Hiberno-Manx Coinage (i.e. that introduced to the island by the Viking Kings of Dublin) at the Manx Museum lecture theatre. Doors open at 6pm for 6.15pm start for a one-hour lecture.

Saturday’s lectures at the Manx Museum will see MNH director Edmund Southworth give a lecture titled ’Introduction to the Isle of Man and its Coinage at 9.20am.

Dr Martin Allen will then give a lecture on Early Medieval Coinage; Manx Hoards from 10am.

There will also be short talks: Mike Southall, Manx modern coinage, 11.30am to 11.50am; Allison Fox, The new Treasure Act, 11.50am to 12.10pm; Michael Arbory, The 1733 coinage, 12.10pm-12.30pm.

Sunday’s lectures take place at the Sefton Hotel, Douglas and will involve off-island topics and speakers.

Jeremy Cheek will speak on The Royal Collection from 9am.

He will be followed by Gareth Williams, curator of early Medieval Coinage at The British Museum, London, specialising in Anglo-Saxon and Viking coinage, from 9.45am

And Barrie Cook, curator of Medieval and early modern coinage at The British Museum will speak at 11am.