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    Star Wars coins to become legal tender on South Pacific island

    By Trevor Mogg | Digital Trends – Thu, Aug 18, 2011

    Imagine you’re in a store having just made a purchase, and the cashier hands you your change. Just before pocketing it you notice the coins have Star Wars characters on them. Understandably, you might well be moved to say, “Excuse me, is this some kind of joke?”

    But it’s a situation that could very well happen – if you happen to be holidaying on the South Pacific island of Niue, that is.

    From November, the tiny nation, with a population of just over 1300, will introduce a set of $2 coins celebrating the Star Wars movie franchise – and they’ll be legal tender, too. The coins are being issued by

    The 1oz silver coins, no doubt of interest to coin collectors as well as fans of the movie, can be ordered online, and include the Darth Vader Coin Set (imagine, Darth Vader on one side and the nation’s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, on the other), the Millennium Falcon Coin Set and a collection of ten separately-sold silver-plated base metal coins featuring characters from the 1977 hit movie.

    The Darth Vader Coin Set comprises four coins with images of Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Death Star and a Stormtrooper. The packaging for this set is novel, to say the least – when you open the unique Darth-Vader-head case containing the coins, you’ll be treated to the somewhat disturbing yet familiar sound of Darth Vader’s heavy breathing.

    Looking at the Millennium Falcon Coint Set, you have characters paired up on four colored coins: Luke Skywalker with Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi with Yoda, R2-D2 with C-3PO, and Han Solo with Chewbacca. Each set will be limited to a mintage of 7,500.

    Of the individually sold coins, also featuring popular characters from the George Lucas movie, no more than 50,000 of each will be issued.

    The 40-mm diameter coins don’t come cheap, with the sets costing an astronomical $384.53 each. The individual coins are available for a more affordable $19 each. All coins are delivered complete with an individually numbered certificate of authenticity issued by New Zealand Mint.

    It’s not the first time the Ploynesian island has hit the headlines. In 2003 it became the first nation to provide free Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the entire country, which, incidentally, covers about the same area as Washington DC.

     

    [via The Register]

     

    126 comments

    • z
      z  •  9 mths ago
      Wow, what a way to increase the value of your currency! Make it a collectors item. (sarcasm)
    • Cory Morr
      Cory Morr  •  9 mths ago
      Don't pay by registered transport. Traveles refugees.
    • Mary Mooradian
      Mary Mooradian  •  9 mths ago
      This is ridiculous! Come on people. I love the movies- but this is toooo far.
    • Josh Cupp
      Josh Cupp  •  9 mths ago
      Ill take your R2D2 coin for my quarter.
    • jou
      jou  •  9 mths ago
      "The coins are being issued by..."
      "... the Ploynesian island ..."

      Methinks this writer needs to learn the meaning of the word, "Proofread."
      • Dr. Zook
        Dr. Zook 9 mths ago
        Isn't "Ploynesia" close to the "Phillipopines"?
      • scottbwilkinson
        scottbwilkinson 9 mths ago
        So do you, dude... proof read is two words.
      • Kryptik
        Kryptik 9 mths ago
        I have many er some er no memories of my vacation in ploynesia.
    • Kyle Foster
      Kyle Foster  •  9 mths ago
      It's a Trap!
    • just Idaho bound
      just Idaho bound  •  9 mths ago
      Obama is sending a team of support and investors to help this island spend their money, He just sold them Obamacare, The goldengate bridge and Manhatten plus 12 other properties he does not own.....
      • M
        M 9 mths ago
        I am tired of idiots like you who has to insert his hate about Obama in every Yahoo forum! Please have a life. You are driving independents like me to instead be against the republicans!
      • Brian
        Brian 9 mths ago
        It's an ignorant comment. I'll tell you, friend, not all of us Republicans are right wing fundamentalists. I disagree greatly with the president and his policies, but I respect him as commander in Chief. Don't let someone else's words (Even jokes like this one) push your views. Let policy do so.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  9 mths ago
      I think investors will have more success investing in these coins than they do the U.S. dollar.
    • Cathat
      Cathat  •  9 mths ago
      Someone on that island is biilliant! - Those coins will be on the market & EBAY and collectors and fans abroad will pay big money for them. I hope some of those poeple on that island get some extra cash out of this.
    • Cory Morr
      Cory Morr  •  9 mths ago
      "This kind of news can really save my neck." LMAO
    • Cory Morr
      Cory Morr  •  9 mths ago
      "I have 10,000 republic daktaris"
    • Cory Morr
      Cory Morr  •  9 mths ago
      F*** it I just smuggle cargo like a bad a**.
    • Life
      Life  •  9 mths ago
      They say monopoly money has more value in China than the dollar.
    • Adela
      Adela  •  9 mths ago
      Great no photos, and no link to the website you can order them from. Definitely getting me an R2 and a 3PO one.
    • Krystle
      Krystle  •  9 mths ago
      pretty interesting
    • Willow Tree
      Willow Tree  •  9 mths ago
      PICTURES? Yahoo!, this is 2011 and not 1011.
    • jk
      jk  •  9 mths ago
      Just placed my pre-order for each set. Holla!
    • Jennifer
      Jennifer  •  9 mths ago
      Awesome that you included a picture with this article, Yahoo. Journalism at its finest!
    • silly rabbit
      silly rabbit  •  9 mths ago
      sweet i have to get the darth vader set
    • Patrick
      Patrick  •  9 mths ago
      Pathetic and sad that even this money is worth more than the American dollar and the Peso is almost equal if not worth more than the American dollar is now. Yup welcome to the third world economics America you have finally dropped to this level and who do you think you can thank for all of this great wonderful things that have happened to us??? The Republicans and Democrats of course. Thank you very much.
      • Kenne
        Kenne 9 mths ago
        Solid post, loads of mis-information. The Mex Peso is at 11.7 to the USD. Five years ago it was at 10-1. Look, I'm hard right, hate the current admin., but, we have enough real live facts and don't have to make them up.
     Post a comment
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