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500 Dollars HMS Prince of Wales
| Issuer | Palau |
|---|---|
| Year | 2009 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 77.75 g |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF PALAU 500$ |
| Reverse description | A finely detailed relief portrait of the British King George V-class battleship HMS Prince of Wales is depicted in three-quarter view to the right, her superstructure, gun turrets, and hull rendered with exceptional precision above stylized ocean waves. A British White Ensign flag is shown flying from a mast in the upper portion of the field. The bold block legend HMS / PRINCE OF / WALES is inscribed in the lower left field, with the date 2009 appearing in small characters along the lower edge. The composition fills the rhombus-shaped flan, conveying the impressive scale and power of the warship. |
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| Additional information |
HMS Prince of Wales was one of the Royal Navy's King George V-class battleships, sunk on 10 December 1941 by Japanese torpedo bombers off the coast of Malaya — just three days after Pearl Harbor. The loss shocked the Admiralty; she had been considered modern enough to operate without air cover, a doctrine violently disproved. Admiral Tom Phillips went down with the ship.
Palau's gold commemorative series of this period frequently honored WWII naval subjects, drawing collectors interested in the Pacific theater. At 77.75 grams of .999 fine gold, the issue corresponds closely to a 2.5-troy-ounce format.