1/2 New Penny - Elizabeth II Ragwort, Silver

The Isle of Man issued its decimal coinage in 1971 alongside the UK's decimalization, but the Manx government — exercising its fiscal autonomy through the Treasury — made a point of distinguishing its issues with local flora and fauna rather than adopting British reverse designs wholesale. The ragwort variety in silver was struck as part of a limited proof-style program in 1975, aimed squarely at collectors rather than commerce; the base metal circulation version is what most Manxmen ever handled.

Ragwort itself is something of a loaded choice — toxic to livestock, legally a controlled weed in the UK, yet stubbornly prevalent across Manx fields.