Star Wars Coins Issued By Pacific Island Nation

Posted by samzenpus on Monday August 15, 2011 @03:26AM from the judge-this-coin-by-its-size-would-you? dept.

19061969 wrote in with a link about how the Pacific Island of Niue is issuing a set of commemorative Star Wars coins. While the $2 coins can be used as legal tender on the island, the government hopes they'll be bought by collectors and help increase tourism to the tiny nation. From the article: "The coins, which will show a Star Wars character on one side and the Queen of England on the other, will be worth NZ$2, but made of NZ$117.25 worth of silver, meaning that if you're looking for practical tender, these aren't the coins you're looking for. 'You wouldn't want to go and spend them because they're only worth $2, but the value is much more than that,' Chris Kirkness of the New Zealand Mint told the Australian Associated Press."

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news for nerds by hjf · 2011-08-15 03:32 · Score: 4, Insightful

Slashdot is finally honoring its slogan!
Re:I say buy all of them by Anonymous Coward · 2011-08-15 03:44 · Score: 4, Informative

Except that the coins are being sold for a considerable premium over the spot price of silver.
A set of 4 1-ounce coins is Â£239.80.
Spot price of silver is about Â£25 per ounce, or 100 for 4. So there's about a 240% premium for the coins.
Woo! by LordStormes · 2011-08-15 04:05 · Score: 4, Funny

I got the Palpatine coin! And it's got R2-D2 on the other side! Wait... that's not Palpatine... *mulph*