1 Dollar Scalloped Hammerhead, colored

Palau has issued novelty wildlife coins almost continuously since the late 1990s, largely through licensing arrangements with the Coin Invest Trust of Liechtenstein — the actual creative and technical work happens in Europe, not the Pacific. These pieces circulate as legal tender in name only; Palau uses the U.S. dollar in everyday commerce and has no domestic coin-striking infrastructure.

The scalloped hammerhead is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, its populations having collapsed under pressure from finning operations across the Indo-Pacific.