Isle of Man TT 1997 50 Pence Coin Sells for £250 on eBay

The TT 50p, minted by the Isle of Man Treasury in 1997, was sold on eBay for £250. Coming from the Isle, it cannot be used as legal tender in the UK.

A rare Isle of Man 50p coin has sold on eBay for £250.

The coin, minted in 1997 by the Isle of Man Treasury, features Queen Elizabeth II on the head and two riders in the TT races on the tail.

It is believed to be one of a small batch of 50p coins minted in 1997 that were larger than the standard size.

The TT 50p, minted by the Isle of Man Treasury in 1997, was sold on eBay for £250. Coming from the Isle, it cannot be used as legal tender in the UK. 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. 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 true rarity of this coin comes in 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.

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.