Pobjoy Mint announce the release of an attractive new coin on behalf of the Isle of Man which commemorates the 200th Anniversary of Matthew Flinders.

Captain Matthew Flinders was a prominent English navigator and cartographer which was the first to circumnavigate Australia and to identify it as a continent. He was additionally the first to have his Atlas of maps of Australia published. Born in March 1774, Flinders made three voyages to the southern ocean. During the second voyage it was confirmed that Van Diemen's Land, which is now Tasmania, was an island. After the trip his work had been noticed by Sir Joseph Banks and as a result, in January 1801, Flinders was provided command of the Investigator and promoted to Commander the following month.

Aboard the Investigator, Flinders began his expedition of the Australian coastline and continued around the coast preparing his charts as he went. After his return to England, Flinder's chart of Terra Australia was first published in January 1814. Admired in Australia and recognised as one of the best navigators in history, he died 200 years back in 1814 aged 40, the day after his book and atlas was published.

This special 200th Anniversary coin reveals the HMS Investigator and a chart of Australia bordered by famous images that represent Australia. The obverse of the coin brings an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

Available in Cupro Nickel and Proof Sterling Silver, each precious metal coin has been carefully struck four times and feature frosted higher relief sculpting against a mirror brilliant background.