Star Wars coins as legal tender

The South Pacific island of Niue is issuing legal tender emblazoned with Star Wars characters. Queen Elizabeth II, Niue's head of state, will be on the front of 40 new coins but Luke, Leia, and the gang will appear in color on the flip side. From The Telegraph:

As legal tender, the coins will have a face value of NZ$2 (£1), but the silver content in each is worth considerably more than that.
The coins are primarily aimed at collectors and investors around the world in a bid to boost Niue's flagging government coffers.
Sets of four, each containing 1oz of silver, will sell for NZ$469 (£235).

"Queen to share Pacific nation's coins with Star Wars characters" (The Telegraph)

Star Wars Legal Tender Coins (New Zealand Mint)

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gwailo_joe

these aren’t the cowrie shells you are looking for…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=607675355 Brent Kirkham

Which side is shown in the pic above?
- Guest
  
  I think Elizabeth is actually older than Palpatine.
http://www.facebook.com/postelwait Cameron Postelwait

just a matter of time before these show up on QVC for 19.95 each.
- ernunnos
  
  Doubtful. With an ounce of silver each. Looks like they’re charging spot x 2.5. (4 oz per set, each set priced @ 10x spot.) I’ll expect to find them in coin shops at spot + $5 or so in a year or two. Of course, by then the original buyers might have made a profit. Silver spot was under $15 not that long ago. If these had been issued then, at $37.5, they’d be in the money today, on melt value alone.
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

I hear the Jar Jar Binks coins are only worth a nickel.
Palefire

This move pushes their S&P rating is higher than ours in the U.S. A new economic empire rises from the watery depths. Isn’t Niue a Bothan name?
http://thebeatdown.disqus.com Franklin

Awesome. Tell Jabba I’ve got his money.
Sarah Neptune

I think I speak for Yoda when I say Dark side, someone has gone to the.
Or something like that.
- AnthonyC
  
  ” Gone to the dark side, someone has,” sounds closer to me.
Bevatron Repairman

£117,500 now and £881,250 when we reach Alderaan…
http://www.about.me/stephenjscott Stephen Scott

All the coins in one image I have collated, peruse to decide how best to waste your own currency you may … http://darthambiguous.tumblr.com/post/8761893724/star-wars-legal-tender
dadara

Still waiting for the first country which will accept these Infinite banknotes as legal tender…….
http://www.spendyourart.com
http://twitter.com/jadi jadi

First link is broken
paul

So are the coins licensed, or will the country soon be wholly owned by Lucasfilms?