The Pobjoy Mint opened its Isle of Man cat series in 1988 with the most local subject possible: the Manx, the tailless cat that the island counts among its national emblems. A new breed followed every year after that, and this 1/20 ounce gold proof piece belongs to the year where it all began.

The missing tail is a natural mutation that spread through the island's small, isolated cat population. Because the gene is dominant, one litter can hold kittens with no tail at all alongside others with a short stump. Manx cats also stand higher at the rump than at the shoulders, since their hind legs are longer than the front ones, which gives them a rounded, compact outline under a dense double coat.

No other breed has appeared twice in the series: the Manx returned on the 2012 coins. The proof strike sets a frosted design against a mirror field.