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5 Dollars Sperm Whale
| Issuer | Palau |
|---|---|
| Year | 2002 |
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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 | Latin |
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| Reverse description | An adult sperm whale and its calf are depicted swimming at the ocean surface, rendered in polychrome color enamel with naturalistic detail showing their characteristic blunt square heads and mottled skin. The two animals are shown in a harmonious composition, the larger whale dominating the upper portion of the field and the juvenile positioned below and to the right. The surrounding field evokes an open sea environment. The legend MARINE-LIFE PROTECTION arcs along the upper periphery within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Palau's marine-themed silver program launched in 1992 and became one of the more commercially successful collector series of the 1990s and early 2000s, driven largely by the novelty of colorized enamel inserts at a time when that technology was still relatively new to numismatics. The sperm whale issue appeared as interest in the format was already beginning to plateau, with secondary market premiums softening noticeably from earlier releases in the series.
Palau itself has no mint — these were produced under contract, most likely at the Berne or Berlin facilities that handled the bulk of Pacific island collector coinage during this period.