The French Trade Dollar was struck from 1885 to 1928, specifically to facilitate commerce in French Indochina and competing directly against the Mexican peso and the British Trade Dollar across Southeast Asian markets. Niue's 2020 restrike issues this as a legal-tender dollar under the standard arrangement where the island nation licenses its coinage authority to private mints — Niue itself having no circulating coinage economy to speak of.
The original Piastre de Commerce was eventually replaced by the Indochinese piastre tied to the French franc, ending its role as a trade instrument by the early twentieth century.
The French Trade Dollar was struck from 1885 to 1928, specifically to facilitate commerce in French Indochina and competing directly against the Mexican peso and the British Trade Dollar across Southeast Asian markets. Niue's 2020 restrike issues this as a legal-tender dollar under the standard arrangement where the island nation licenses its coinage authority to private mints — Niue itself having no circulating coinage economy to speak of.
The original Piastre de Commerce was eventually replaced by the Indochinese piastre tied to the French franc, ending its role as a trade instrument by the early twentieth century.