The horned head on the Isle of Man’s circulating 50p belongs not to a goat but to a ram of the native Manx Loaghtan breed, sheep that usually carry two or four horns and occasionally six. On this 2020 coin the Loaghtan’s head sits beneath an encircled triskelion.

The design is part of the new range the island’s Treasury unveiled on 10 April 2017, the first redesign since 2004. Coins from 5p to £5 gained the Manx shearwater, the Manx cat, a Viking longship, the Loaghtan, a peregrine falcon with a raven and the Tower of Refuge, while the encircled triskelion and a Celtic-style border unite the whole series. The coins are struck by Tower Mint in London, with Jody Clark’s portrait of Elizabeth II on the obverse.

The breed’s name comes from the Manx lugh dhoan, «mouse-brown», after the colour of its wool. By the 1950s the Loaghtan had almost vanished, and today it is on the priority list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Uncirculated (UNC) condition: the coin has never been in circulation, shows no wear and keeps its original mint lustre; only minor handling marks are possible. For a date run of Manx circulating coins, it fills the 2020 slot.

If you collect coins by country or by theme, take a look at the VPcoins catalogue: it is a convenient place to find the neighbouring pieces of a series.