Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 1 Crown 1981, KM# 78, Isle of Man, Elizabeth II, International Year of Disabled Persons, Ludwig van Beethoven
  • 1 Crown 1981, KM# 78, Isle of Man, Elizabeth II, International Year of Disabled Persons, Ludwig van Beethoven
Description

The year 1981 was proclaimed the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) by the United Nations. It called for a plan of action with an emphasis on equalization of opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities. The slogan of IYDP was "a wheelchair in every home", defined as the right of persons with disabilities to take part fully in the life and development of their societies, enjoy living conditions equal to those of other citizens, and have an equal share in improved conditions resulting from socio-economic development.

Obverse

Depicts the second crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, surrounded by the inscription, the mintmark (PM) and the date below.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was a wedding present in 1947 from her grandmother, Queen Mary, who received it as a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland in 1893 on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York, later George V. Made by E. Wolfe & Co., it was purchased from Garrard & Co. by a committee organised by Lady Eve Greville. In 1914, Mary adapted the tiara to take 13 diamonds in place of the large oriental pearls surmounting the tiara. At first, Elizabeth wore the tiara without its base and pearls but the base was reattached in 1969. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of Elizabeth's most recognisable pieces of jewellery due to its widespread use on British banknotes and coinage.

Engraver: Arnold Machin

ISLE OF MAN ELIZABETH II
PM
1981

Reverse

Depicts a bust of Ludwig van Beethoven, a violin and a quill pen, notes.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, his great Mass the Missa solemnis and an opera, Fidelio. By his late 20s his hearing began to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE DISABLED
BEETHOVEN
• ONE CROWN •

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 28.28 g
Diameter 38.61 mm
Thickness 3.17 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Pobjoy Mint (PM)

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