1 Dollar Lionfish and Parrotfish - Platinum Essai

Palau began issuing dollar-denominated collector coins in 1992, shortly after gaining full sovereignty, and quickly became one of the Pacific's most prolific producers of themed numismatic issues. The "Essai" designation here indicates a trial or pattern strike — pieces produced outside the standard mintage run, typically to test dies or demonstrate the coin to issuing authorities and distributors. Platinum essais from small Pacific island issuers of this period are genuinely uncommon, as platinum proofing runs were usually limited to a handful of pieces with no formal mintage figures ever published.