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20 Dollars Turtle
| Issuer | Palau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF PALAU 1998 20$ |
| Reverse description | A large sea turtle is depicted swimming in full color against a detailed underwater scene, rendered in polychrome enamel. Surrounding the turtle are tropical fish of various species, including clownfish and angelfish, along with vibrant coral formations, sea anemones, and a red starfish in the lower field. The naturalistic composition fills the entire inner field, conveying the rich biodiversity of Pacific marine ecosystems. An inner beaded border frames the design, with the arc legend MARINE-LIFE PROTECTION inscribed along the upper portion of the border in raised Latin lettering. |
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| Additional information |
Palau's large-format silver issues of the late 1990s were part of a deliberate strategy by the young republic — independent only since 1994 — to generate foreign exchange through numismatic exports. The coins were never intended for domestic circulation and were marketed almost exclusively to European collector markets, particularly Germany, where demand for oversized silver issues was strongest at the time.
The turtle subject was not incidental. Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone covers roughly 600,000 square kilometers of Pacific Ocean, and sea turtle conservation had become a formal government priority by the mid-1990s, with domestic legislation predating most regional equivalents.