Cricket World Cup coin has ‘eye appeal’ for sports memorabilia collectors

The coin used in the tied game between India and England is attracting many bids in an online auction

The tied game between India and England at the Cricket World Cup on Sunday has had fans and pundits calling it one of the greatest one day matches ever.

And now sports memorabilia investors and numismatists alike are eyeing up an opportunity to take home a unique piece from the contest.

The coin used for the toss prior to the game is currently up for auction online, courtesy of the International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket's governing body.

The coin is officially licensed by the ICC, housed in a presentation case and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

An example of an official coin from the Cricket World Cup

Indian captain MS Dhoni won the toss with the coin and elected to bat. What ensued was an enthralling day of cricket, including scintillating hundreds from Sachin Tendulkar and Andrew Strauss and a last ball finish that left both captains thinking about what might have been.

Such has been the excitement generated by this game that the coin has been the subject of some extremely competitive bidding.

The auction ends tomorrow and at the time of writing bids have reached $9,600.

A special coin has been produced for each game of the Cricket World Cup and each is being auctioned off by the ICC.

The competition runs in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh until early April.