A collection of four coins has been launched to commemorate the 140th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote in the Isle of Man.

The development led to the island being recognised as the first nation in the world to give women the right to vote in a general election.

The ’Pioneering Women’s Suffrage’ collection comprises four £2 coins depicting the historic signing of poll books in 1881 by the first women to vote at each of the polling stations in the first contested constituency of Ayre.

NAMES

Images provided by Manx National Heritage feature on the reverse of each coin and depict the names of Catherine Callow, Margaret Kelvin, Eliza Jane Goldsmith and Esther Kee being signed.

In celebration of the launch, sets were presented to President of Tynwald Laurence Skelly and Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson by Treasury Minister David Ashford and Treasury department member Bill Henderson MLC.

Also in attendance was Clare Christian, who served as the first female President of Tynwald between 2011 and 2016.

Minister Ashford said: ’The commemorative coin sets being launched today help capture change taking place through the signatures of the first women voting, and celebrate the island’s historic position as an independent, forward-thinking nation.’

Mr Skelly said: ’It is a source of great pride for the Isle of Man and its people to have pioneered votes for women in 1881.

’This was a significant development and served as an example to many other nations that social change was happening.’

The four-coin sets, created by Tower Mint, will be available to buy from the Tynwald Library, Manx National Heritage and other local retailers from next week, and copies of each coin will be placed in general circulation.