200 Dollars Independence

Palau gained independence from the United States on October 1, 1994, ending a trusteeship arrangement that had been in place since 1947 under UN mandate. This coin was issued the same year, making it among the earliest gold issues of the newly sovereign republic. The Compact of Free Association signed with the United States preserved American defense obligations while granting full self-governance — an arrangement that shaped Palau's economic dependence on external revenue streams, of which commemorative coin programs became a notable part.