The Bounty Hunter Times

theforce:

Star Wars coins issued by New Zealand Mint are legal tender in Niue

Residents of Niue, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,500 miles northeast of New Zealand, may soon be asking their friends if they could borrow a “Han Solo” to pay for a an ice cream. Yes, the country of Niue is getting a special “Star Wars” currency.

Okay, so although the coins are legal tender, they’re not actually meant to be used as currency and are more of a collector’s item.  A $2 coin will cost you $117 to purchase, so that’d be one expensive ice cream you’d be buying if you used the coin to pay for it.

The New Zealand Mint will produce the coins, and the mint’s Vice President of USA Operations Chris Kirkness has stated the silver used to make the coins has a worth of $45 to $55 on its own.

The currency will depict color images of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Han and Chewbacca, Obi Wan and Yoda, Darth Vader, the Death Star, R2D2 and C-3PO. The reverse side of the coin has the image of Queen Elizabeth II on it. All Niueans are New Zealand citizens and Queen Elizabeth II is Niue’s head of state.