2nd portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. Lettering around outside, date below.

Mint mark: PM (Pobjoy Mint).

Engraver: Arnold Machin.

The 19th and 20th centuries are represented by a 19th century Manx lifeboat going to the aid of a ship in distress. A portrait of Sir William Hillary in the inset cartouche.

A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inflatable combination hulled vessels.

Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet (4 January 1771 – 5 January 1847) was an English militia officer, author and philanthropist, best known as the founder, in 1824, of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Sir William Hillary came to live on the Isle of Man in 1808. Being aware of the treacherous nature of the Irish Sea, with many ships being wrecked around the Manx coast, he drew up plans for a national lifeboat service manned by trained crews. At the age of 60, Sir William took part in the rescue, in 1830, of the packet St George, which had foundered on Conister Rock at the entrance to Douglas Harbour. He commanded the lifeboat and was washed overboard with others of the lifeboat crew, yet finally everyone aboard the St George was rescued with no loss of life. It was this incident which prompted Sir William to set up a scheme to build The Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock – a project completed in 1832 which stands to this day at the entrance to Douglas Harbour.

Engraver: Leslie Lindsay.