Coin Dealers and/or Collectors
Coin Artifacts Available
First Coins of the Cayman Islands; 1972’s

It is to be first understood that coins are just coins, unless they have some special significance, such as; age, rarity, artistry, uniqueness, exceptional condition, or some other factor that makes them appealing, and in such cases take on the status of artifacts or collector items.

In the case with the “1972” Cayman coins, the reason for the designation of artifact is obvious. The “1972” coins were the first-ever circulating coins minted for the Cayman Islands . To further add to that designation, the above mentioned coins are un-circulated, and the only such coins of that year known to exist.

The significance of these coins was obvious to Mr. Lofthouse, who in 1972, bought bags of the first coins minted for the Cayman Islands , as an investment. Mr. Lofthouse was the founding father of the Visual Arts Society in the Cayman Islands , and a collector of artifacts (including rare coins) for numerous years.

The Cayman Islands Currency Board (as it was referred to back in 1972) circulated all of these coins except for the ones Mr. Lofthouse purchased. This made Mr. Lofthouse the sole owner of all the first (un-circulated) coins minted for the Cayman Islands. Mr. Lofthouse chose to keep those coins in a safe-deposit box in a vault located in the old George Town Building on Seven Mile Beach. These coins remained bagged in the original sealed bags in that location until 1989. In that year the coins were sold to the Gold Mine, Ltd., a corporation who leased the space as a retail location and specialized in rare coins.

The coins have been marketed since that time in (coin book sets) & jewelry, or provided as gifts to customers of the Gold Mine, Ltd. It was considered to be the perfect Cayman souvenir.

A set of these circulating coins was donated to the Currency Board in 1992 in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Currency Board. A letter of acknowledgement and thanks was received for this donation.

Jim Rauch, The Gold Mine

For additional information, see the below web site.

http://www.cimoney.com.ky/currency/default.aspx?id=82