Coins from the Republic of Palau, made since 1992, include quite a large number of silver and gold collectors’ pieces that commemorate many different subjects. For general circulation, Palau uses the U.S. dollar and its coins, so Palauan coins are intended solely for the international collector market place.
Denominations of Palau coins
Dollar coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 200, 500
Palau coins tend to be of silver and gold — the gold can be quite pure, up to .9999, while the silver is usually between .9000 and .9990, depending on the issue. Subjects include quite a few different things; the preservation of marine life is common, as are nude mermaids. For a collector to get one of each denomination that has been issued, he or she will need to dip into the gold coin market since the highest denominations of Palau coins are strictly gold. Silver will make up most of the rest, though with diligence you can find some of each that are within most budgets.
See also: Ancient Roman coins: History you can hold in your hand
Palau has been adventurous in some of its coin issues — striking designs and multi-colored coins abound, as do interesting ideas such as an oyster-shaped coin with real pearl inlays. Other coins, such as one in honor of the Hubble telescope, include a hole or cut-out as a strategic part of the design. There is much to recommend in the Palau collectible coin market.
