1 Dollar Mandarin dragonet

Palau has issued colored wildlife coins under licensing arrangements since the late 1990s, targeting the collector market almost exclusively — these pieces were never intended for circulation and were sold directly through distributors. The Mandarin dragonet series sits within a broader Pacific marine life program that generated dozens of similar issues across the 2000s and early 2010s, most struck by overseas mints on contract.

Palau has issued colored wildlife coins under licensing arrangements since the late 1990s, targeting the collector market exclusively — these pieces were never intended for circulation and were distributed through numismatic channels rather than any banking system. The Mandarin dragonet belongs to a Pacific marine life program that generated dozens of similar issues through the 2000s and early 2010s, most struck by European mints on contract with the Palau government.