Rare TT 50p minted by the Isle of Man Treasury in 1997 was sold on eBay for £250

Queen Elizabeth II features on the head of the coin alongside the iconic triskelion depicted on the flag of the crown dependency the coin was distributed in.

A rare Isle of Man 50p TT coin, minted in 1997, has sold on eBay for £250. The coin, which features Queen Elizabeth II on the head and two TT riders on the tail, was sold by seller ManxCoins on the auction site. Coming from the Isle, the coin cannot be used as legal tender in the UK. The coin's tail depicts two riders in the TT races, the old continuing race in motorcycle history, which is held every year on the Isle. The rider in the foreground has the number 9 on his bike, which, while never confirmed, is believed to represent Phillip McClellan, who won 11 TT titles in his year career. The coin is also notable for its size, as mentioned by the seller. Between 1969, when the 50p was first introduced into circulation, and 1997, the 50p coin had a diameter of 30mm, whereas current 50p coins are slightly smaller at 27.3mm. The TT 50p coin was minted in 1997 to a smaller size than the standard 50p coin, which had a diameter of 30mm at the time. While the exact minting numbers have never been publicly revealed, experts have been able to make assumptions on the coin's rarity. The Isle of Man had a small population of around 75,000 in 1997 and the coin never entered circulation in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, giving the coin a perceived rarity among collectors.