5 Cedis Alien, colorized & rhodium plated

Ghana's 2021 alien-themed bullion issues were part of a broader wave of novelty collector coins produced under licensing arrangements common among smaller sovereign mints seeking non-traditional revenue streams. The Bank of Ghana has increasingly contracted European minting houses — notably in Germany and Poland — to produce fantasy-themed legal tender, a practice that draws criticism from traditional numismatists but generates reliable secondary market demand.

Rhodium plating on a .999 silver substrate is technically demanding; the metal is harder than platinum and applied in extremely thin layers, making long-term adhesion dependent almost entirely on surface preparation quality at striking.