Hitchcock died in 1980, and licensing his image for collectible coinage required negotiating with his estate — a process that has made authorized Hitchcock issues relatively scarce compared to the flood of unlicensed tribute pieces that circulated through the novelty market for decades. The Solomon Islands has become a preferred issuing authority for micro-gold collector coins of this format, largely because its regulatory framework imposes minimal restrictions on third-party licensing arrangements.
Hitchcock died in 1980, and licensing his image for collectible coinage required negotiating with his estate — a process that has made authorized Hitchcock issues relatively scarce compared to the flood of unlicensed tribute pieces that circulated through the novelty market for decades. The Solomon Islands has become a preferred issuing authority for micro-gold collector coins of this format, largely because its regulatory framework imposes minimal restrictions on third-party licensing arrangements.