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5 Dollars Spanish 5 Peseta, Essai
| Issuer | Republic of Palau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF PALAU 1999 FIVE DOLLARS |
| Reverse description | Bare-headed youthful effigy of King Alfonso XIII of Spain in left-facing profile, rendered with fine sculptural detail showing his boyish features and naturalistically styled hair. The engraver's initials B.M. appear in small characters below the truncation. The circular legend ALFONSO XIII POR LA G. DE DIOS arcs around the periphery, with the date 1899 inscribed at the base of the field flanked by decorative star ornaments, all within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Palau's coinage program launched in 1994 as a frankly commercial venture — the island nation had no domestic numismatic tradition and contracted its issues almost entirely to foreign minting houses targeting collector markets. This 1999 palladium essai sits in that context without apology. Essai strikes of this type were produced in extremely limited quantities as pattern or presentation pieces, typically for assay verification or distributor approval, and rarely entered any form of circulation.
Palladium at .999 fineness was an unusual choice for 1999; the metal was then trading at a fraction of its later peak prices before the automotive catalytic converter shortage drove it above gold.