For the first time in a long time, Manx money looks to be getting a refresh. After decades of putting off purchasing a new portrait of the Lord of Mann, the government is finally looking to change things up, with Treasury launching a consultation into the Isle of Man’s currency design.
Running until 23 October, the consultation aims to gauge public opinion on whether our money (notes and coins) need to be redesigned and what should be put on it if we do.
Whilst we have some issues with how the consultation is structured, we welcome this process and believe it is an opportunity for the Isle of Man to create unique currency designs which represent the Isle of Man as it is today, rather than as it was 60 years ago when this series of notes were first commissioned.
As Hans de Heij of the Central Bank of the Netherlands stated, “A banknote is the ambassador of the country and the culture it represents.” Put simply, there’s an awful lot to be gained from a well-designed currency beyond the value printed on its face.
Our currency is a tangible talking point for politicians, businesses and the public - allowing us to both demonstrate our unique constitutional status and rich history as well as showcasing the important role that the Isle of Man and its famous sons and daughters have played in Manx, British and international history.
So what do we want to see?
1/ We think it’s time for a new design
It would be very easy for us to photoshop the current currency, swap one Lord of Mann for another and call it a day. However, we believe that if we were to do so we would miss a once in a generation opportunity. As grandiose as it may sound our money is symbol of our independence and our identity and we feel that the current designs, even if they are updated, do not reflect the Isle of Man as it currently is. Simply updating the design to incorporate new and old risks leaving us with the worst of both worlds - that is why we support a blank sheet design for our notes and coins.
2/ The obvious stuff
Whilst this isn’t actually included in the consultation, we think it’s important to mention. We need to bring our money into the 21st Century and the new design should at least include improved security and accessibility features.
Our money should be easy to use and hard to copy as a minimum and if we really want to push the boat out, having them stand up to a wash or the Manx summer would also be useful. This means bringing back plastic banknotes.
3/ Some Manx please
The current crop of currency was designed at a time when the Manx language was in decline and as such they are notable (no pun intended) for an absence of our national language.
We think any new Manx notes or coinage should include the Manx language.
You don’t have to look very far to see that Manx has made a bit of a comeback in recent years, with the number of speakers continuing to rise and government making an intermittent effort to promote and include the language on government communications and signage. Manx is once again a living language and something which is part of our nation’s past, present and future.
Including it on new coins and notes would be in line with other countries’ approaches to minority languages (looking at you Jersey) and would serve to normalise basic Manx words in the minds of everyone who handles one.
We are not talking about removing English from the money, but if the government wants to make progress towards its minority language commitments and make Manx more visible, putting it on the Punt Mannin would be a good place to start.
4/ More Manx Faces
Right now you’ll find only two faces on Manx money - the Queen and the Fonze.
We think that the next series of Manx money should include more Manx faces from history.
Whilst it may seem logical to assume that Charles will simply replace the Queen on the next batch of our currency, that is no reason for this to be a foregone conclusion.
Many countries which have monarchies (or even share our monarch) don’t have their King or Queen on every note and coin or have reduced the prominence of their monarch on their paper and metal currency over time.
Canada and New Zealand only feature the Queen on the $20 note, Australia and Bermuda have removed the Queen from all of their notes and Norway and Denmark don’t feature their respective Kings on any of their currency at all.
There are practical (and sometimes political) reasons behind this practice but one of its benefits is that it has allowed these countries to, in a small way, highlight individuals who have contributed to their nations' history and have those faces seen by the masses.
If we did this we would be spoilt for choice, there are a host of Manx people whose stories are nowhere near as known as they should be. James Brown, Sophia Morrison, Hall Caine, Josephine Kermode, Mona Douglas and Brian Stowell, have all had some hand in shaping our country’s history and culture but outside of certain circles are met with blank stares when their names are brought up.
Prominently displaying some of the people who shaped Mannin could go a long way reducing the number of blank stares.
5/ Just one more thing…
Finally, as important as it is to think about what goes on our money, the process for designing it is itself important. Whilst a ‘full redesign’ isn’t a foregone conclusion at this point in the event that people want to see something other than a photoshopped version of what we have now, the government needs to make sure that the public play an active role in the process. If the government is serious about our currency promoting a good image of the Isle of Man it needs to keep the public engaged at all points of the process.
You can complete the consultation here.
Коментарі