1/2 Penny - Elizabeth II F.A.O. Food For All, silver

The F.A.O. coin program, launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the 1960s, recruited issuing authorities worldwide to produce special strikes whose proceeds nominally supported agricultural development initiatives. The Isle of Man joined this program during the Douglas administration's aggressive push to exploit the island's newly expanded monetary autonomy following the Coinage Act 1971. Most F.A.O. issues from small jurisdictions were struck in base metal for circulation; the silver variant here is a proof-quality collectible produced for the numismatic market rather than any agricultural fund.