1 Dollar Gingerbread Man

Palau's legal tender novelty issues have been a cottage industry since the 1990s, produced almost entirely for the collector and gift market rather than any domestic monetary purpose. This particular piece was minted by the Austrian Mint under their "Mini Gold" program, which has churned out sub-gram fractional gold coins on behalf of small Pacific island nations for over a decade — the issuing authority exists largely on paper.

At 0.5 g of .9999 fine gold, the bullion content is negligible by investment standards. The coin's commercial logic is pure impulse retail.